NFU President Peter Kendall addressed a packed room for this year’s NFU fringe event at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Birmingham on Monday evening.
Held in conjunction with the Food and Drink Federation, Mr Kendall told the 90 or so guests that the NFU was seeking to work with the Liberal Democrats on a range of issues affecting farming.
In particular he focused on the challenges posed by the current CAP reform negotiations, saying he looked forward “to making common cause with Liberal Democrats in arguing for a CAP which helps, rather than hinders, European farmers in meeting the challenges ahead”.
Chairing the meeting, Tessa Munt, MP for Wells, introduced the topic for discussion by asking: “Are the Lib Dems being heard on food and farming issues?” Andrew George MP, who has been charged with liaising on Defra policy with ministers on behalf of the party, said that they were, “in parts”. Nevertheless, the St Ives MP described it as a national shame that there were no Liberal Democrats in ministerial positions in Defra.
On CAP reform, Mr George said his party remained committed to Pillar I funding, and had proved influential in government on that front, but he said that direct payments should be linked to conditional requirements on farmers, for instance on climate change and other environmental targets.
He also highlighted the role the Liberal Democrats have played in pushing for a grocery market adjudicator – the final legislation for which is still yet to be published.
Roger Williams, Lib Dem MP for Brecon and Radnorshire and a farmer himself, added his support for the retention of a strong Pillar 1 under a reformed CAP, saying that direct payments were extremely important to British agriculture, without which we'd have none of public goods the public so values.
He added that the Liberal Democrats were politically influential in terms of food and farming policy, but that Defra would be the better for a Lib Dem minister providing a direct voice for the party, acknowledging the important role
Andrew George already plays on this front. Meanwhile, Melanie Leech, Director General of the Food and Drink Federation spoke of the importance of the food and drink industry, underpinned by farming, to the UK economy, which she described as a “shining beacon” bucking the trend of the recession, with exports growing year on year.
Following the panel’s opening remarks, the audience engaged in a long question and answer session, which included contributions from many party delegates (including an encouraging contingent from the party’s youth organisation, Liberal Youth) as well as farmers and industry representatives.
A number of NFU members pressed the politicians on a range of Lib Dem policies, including CAP reform, bovine TB, planning law, succession and fair returns for farmers.
On bovine TB, Mr George said the Lib Dems didn’t fully support current government policy as he was not convinced it is justified by the science, despite assurances from the NFU that it would be done properly. He said that farmers would never forgive them if they made things worse.
He added that it was at the Lib Dem’s behest that the two proposed pilot cull areas will be thoroughly assessed for their effectiveness and humaneness. He finished by saying he wasn’t squeamish about a cull, which could form part of the toolbox of dealing with TB, and that he had supported trials in the past. Mr George’s Lib Dem colleague Roger Williams was more supportive of the government position, saying he believed a cull would make a significant contribution to eliminating the disease, along with other measures, although the practicalities of implementing Defra’s proposals would be very difficult for farmers.
Turning to the market returns farmers are receiving, all members of the panel agreed that a groceries adjudicator must be brought forward as soon as possible, and that it needs to have sufficient powers, including the ability to levy fines and accept third party referrals from bodies like the NFU, to operate effectively. Mr Kendall took the opportunity to reject the “nonsense” that the body would impose too large a cost on retailers.
The panel discussion continued for well over an hour, and touched on a range of other issues. On sustainable farming systems, Mr Kendall warned that the UK “must not export the problem and import the product”, saying that the country needed to be smart about meeting the sustainability challenge. On the same issue, Mr Williams pointed out that grazing ruminants utilise land that is otherwise not very productive, a point that campaigners trying to reduce livestock production often overlook.
Mr Kendall also spoke of the importance of county farms, and in particular the role they play in encouraging new entrants into the industry. He described first generation farmers as being vital in bringing fresh ideas to the industry.
The NFU President also spoke of the importance of allowing trials of GM technologies to proceed unimpeded, saying that “trashing trials is shutting our minds and our opportunities". “We will need every tool in the box in meeting the food security challenge,” he added, saying that farmers, politicians and media need to work together in educating public on GM.
No comments have been made.