With the general election expected in weeks, and campaigning in full swing, this morning’s political session at the NFU conference was a key platform for the three main parties to put their case for the farming vote.
All three speakers talked about the context set out by NFU President, Peter Kendall, of feeding an ever increasing world population in the face of climate change and resource challenges.
The session kicked off with Hilary Benn addressing conference in his third year as the Defra Secretary of State.
Mr Benn led with an announcement that the Pig Meat Task Force will today publish its code of practice on labelling of pork and pork products, which the major retailers have all signed up to. This he said would stop the ‘nonsense’ of misleading labelling and create a level playing field at home.
Inevitably, the Secretary of State came to the issue of bovine TB. He told conference that he stood by his original decision not to allow badger culling, which he said had been ‘profoundly influenced by the ISG report.’
However, he promised to continue to listen to the views of farmers and scientists, and to watch what happens in Wales with the announced culling trials.
Mr Benn also set out Defra’s record under the Labour government; it was one of listening to the industry and taking action, he said. They had listened, he explained, on SPS and were taking action to correct it. On other issues such as sheep EID, pesticides and the Soil Framework Directive, he explained that the government had sided with farmers even if they did not win the argument.
Increased investment in agricultural R&D was another area where Mr Benn said his party had listened. He particularly gave mention to the £50 million of extra government investment over the next five years.
Addressing his second NFU Conference since being appointed Defra Shadow Secretary of State, Nick Herbert gave an insight into what the Conservatives would do if he is in the hotseat following the election. He used the occasion to launch their farming manifesto, ‘A New Age of Agriculture – the Conservative Agenda for British Farming’.
Stressing his belief that farming had been sidelined under the Labour government, Mr Herbert said that it was ‘time to put the ‘F’ back in Defra’ and give the department a renewed agricultural focus. However, he was keen to lower expectations by pointing out that whichever government comes to power after the election, they will have to cut the deficit, which will mean that Defra’s budget will also be cut.
He attacked the RPA as a ‘shambles and a disgrace’ and announced that under the Conservatives, the farming minister will be the chairman of the Agency – bringing back government accountability. And when it came to the many other quangos that regulate the countryside, Mr Herbert insisted that ‘there will be considerably fewer… under a Conservative government.’
On the important issue of bovine TB, Mr Herbert criticised the Government for twisting the science and having ‘funked the decision which is needed to tackle the problem.’ He announced that the Conservatives would introduce a ‘carefully managed control of badgers in high TB areas’.
The Liberal Democrat Defra Spokesman, Tim Farron, was the last to address conference during the morning session. Given recent opinion polls, the influence of the Liberal Democrats and Mr Farron could be very significant in the eventuality of a hung parliament.
Mr Farron spoke passionately about delivering ‘fair trade for farmers too’, explaining how farmers are being forced out business by farm-gate prices.
Whilst congratulating the government on their decision to implement a supermarket ombudsman, Mr Farron warned that they had not gone far enough. He preferred a ‘food market regulator’ to truly prevent the unfair trade between supermarkets and producers.
Mr Farron also highlighted the need for CAP to reward farmers for those public goods that not rewarded by the market. In particular he mentioned how farmers shape our beautiful countryside, delivering notable tourism gains.
In response to the recently published draft Animal Health Bill, Mr Farron called the cost sharing provisions ‘an insult’. He asked why farmers should be expected to pay £22 million a year when the government were ‘too spineless to make a proper decision on the eradication of TB’. He then backed the Conservative proposals to ensure an effective science-based badger cull.
Get all the latest news from conference here, read speeches here and find out how to watch live here.