The Agriculture Bill is progressing through the House of Commons. It had its second reading on 10 October. Second reading is a debate on the general principals of the Bill. 79 MPs spoke in the Agriculture Bill Debate with many raising the NFU’s concerns with the Bill, especially its lack of focus on food production and trade, as well as our ask for multi-year budgets.
The Bill has now moved onto its Committee stage. This is where a selected group of MPs scrutinise the Bill line by line.
After the Committee Stage, the Bill will return to the floor of the House and preparation for further lobbying of MPs is already underway. We are also preparing for the Bill to go to the House of Lords, where there will be further opportunity to amend the Bill.
Successful APPG for Eggs, Pigs and Poultry
The London Team worked with the Poultry Team to deliver a highly successful reception on behalf of the All Party Group for Eggs, Pigs and Poultry. Farming Minister George Eustice MP spoke at the event, along with EFRA Committee Chairman Neil Parish MP and the group’s chairman Jim Shannon MP (Strangford, DUP). Members of all the APPG’s organisations (NPA, BPC and BEIC) were in attendance, including the NFU’s Poultry Board Chair Tom Wornham, and got to meet with their constituency MPs who dropped by.
Brexit conference brings industry together
The Brussels and London offices organised the ‘Beyond Brexit: Farming for our future’ which took place at RUSI in Central London. The conference was jointly hosted by the NFU, AHDB, the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, the Irish Farmers Association and the French, German and Dutch Farming Unions. Attendees travelled from across the continent to hear a range of speakers give their perspective on the challenges ahead for the farming in all countries. Guests took away the point that we all needed to continue to make the point to our respective Governments about getting certainty and more clarity as a matter of urgency.