Congleton MP Fiona Bruce worked in partnership with the NFU to give 50 progressive Cheshire farm businesses their chance to air their opinions to the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, Neil Parish MP, in Knutsford on Friday 14 December.
A former Somerset farmer, councillor and MEP who chaired the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, Mr Parish had countryside and farming at the top of his agenda long before he became the MP for Tiverton and Honiton in the South West.
Taking place at dairy farmer Ray Brown’s brand new business venture, the Bidlea Dairy, it didn’t take long for the discussion to centre on trade.
Mr Parish feels securing a good trade deal with the EU and wider world post Brexit is paramount to the success of our farming industry and subsequently the Agriculture Bill.
Neil Parish MP opened the discussion by saying: “Today we are going to talk about the Agriculture Bill but my worry is that there is not enough agriculture in the bill to start off with. The importance of good trade deals is far more essential than any subsidy.
“If we go to World Trade Organisation terms we will be unable to set any tariffs or rules so our market could be flooded by cheap imported food produced to lower standards. If we don’t agree the divorce deal we cannot move on.”
Mr Parish urged all present to use their influence to assist in steering the Agriculture Bill in a direction that would benefit them. He himself has tabled many amendments to the Bill which Parliament is due to debate again in January.
NFU North West Livestock Board Chairman Bill Mellor who farms in Hazel Grove, Stockport asked Mr Parish: “Do you think we have a Defra department and Rural Payments Agency that is equipped enough to cope with change following Brexit? They don’t have the best record.”
Neil Parish MP empathised with Mr Mellor saying the Rural Payments Agency had caused problems with his own Basic Payment Scheme claim by mapping incorrectly and splitting fields that should have remained whole.
In summary Mr Parish said: “There are a number of important aspects farmers should be thinking about when it comes to the Agriculture Bill. Ask yourselves what is the benchmark for being productive. We also have to protect ourselves from cheaper imports by writing our standards into future trade deals.”
NFU member Robert Brunt of Lane House Farm in Wincle near Macclesfield asked if Mr Parish could give any assurances that farmers would be encouraged to innovate and invest via new incentive schemes.
Neil Parish MP concluded the meeting by saying whatever future incentive schemes come after Brexit; they need to be long term and have secure funding to give farm businesses the confidence to make informed and exciting investment decisions.