Your Kent county NFU update

Amanda Corp

Kent County Adviser

As we move into May, activity has ramped up on farm and the NFU and members have been busy in Kent.

Meeting Dover and Deal MP Mike Tapp
Farmers in the Dover and Deal constituency met with Mike Tapp on 1 May at Hope Farm. Discussions included inheritance tax, illegal meat imports, the animal welfare bill, EU trade, plant protection products and the effect of the Iran war on farming.

The impact it is having, in particular on the arable sector in terms of fertiliser costs, added to the call for national food security.

PCC rural crime board
Matthew Scott held the Police and Crime Commissioner Rural Crime Board on 5 May. Presentations were made by Kent Fire Brigade on wildfires and their prevention plus its engagement with landowners and its rural plan.

The Environment Agency also presented its ten-point plan to tackle fly tipping and regulatory reform. Farmers raised the potential of fuel theft due to global energy market disruption and fuel price spikes.

Schools event Living Land
Kent officeholders attended the educational event held at the Kent County Showground on 6 May, organised by Kent Agricultural Society. Thousands of children in primary years 3 to 4 found out about farming, the countryside and where their food comes from.

Mental Health - Yarn In A Barn lunch club
FCN. RABI. Kent Trading Standards and our NFU Ashford office have got together to launch a new lunch blub for anyone in our rural communities. The aim is to support and improve mental wellbeing in the local area, with a Yarn in A Barn style social eating together. It will be run on a monthly basis on the second Thursday of each month at Perry Court Farm Shop, A28, Canterbury Road, Bilting TN25 4ES, starting at 12.30pm.

Thank you cats
Last month we sent out a request from Cats Protection Ashford and SE branch for some help to re home some cats who could only live outside.

This led to several cats being rehomed and we received a heartful thank you for the response.

Seeking a business partnership/agricultural career
A goat keeper, goat cheese and soap producer, is seeking a business partner or future farm tenancy to continue in an agricultural career. He can do mole mapping, general farm work and building work, and is a BASC member. If you are interested in working with this NFU member please contact Chris Humphreys, [email protected].

NFU Kent Inter Branch Clay Shoot
This takes place on Friday 29 May at West Kent Shooting School, Old Hay, Brenchley TN12 7DG. Teams of four to be booked by emailing [email protected].

Pre-harvest health and safety events
There are two events of interest for Kent members, at the Cherry Barn, Clayton Farm, Peasmarsh, Rye on 11 June and Montreal Estate, Penn Farm, Penn Lane, Sevenoaks on 29 June. Visit NFUonline for full details and to book.

Local news

South East Water outage – call for evidence

NFU East Environment and Land Use adviser Polly Lawman attended a Kent County Council meeting to give evidence on the impact of the December water outage from South East Water in the Tunbridge Wells area.

The issue was raised that, while farms often are resilient to water outages and have contingency plans in place, breaks in supply pose a serious threat to animal welfare.

During the meeting, a representative from the hospitality sector highlighted the need for improved communication with businesses, which was echoed for the farming sector.

If members have any comments on how their business’ were impacted by the outage, please contact Polly as she continues to feed information back to the council on this issue.

Email Polly Lawman

Local news

Darren joins the NFU team

A warm welcome to Darren Smith, who has joined the team as group secretary for Ashford, Tenterden and Whitfield.

Darren has worked for the NFU Mutual for over 20 years, in a variety of roles across the region so will already be a familiar face to some members.

Darren says: "I’ve had the opportunity to support many of you directly, gain a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our sector, and develop a strong appreciation for the vital role the NFU plays in representing our farming community.

"As someone who has lived in Kent all my life, I am passionate about our unique region and I am proud to continue serving the region in this new capacity.

"I’m looking forward to getting out to meet as many members as possible over the coming months, listening to your experiences first-hand and making sure your voices are heard both locally and nationally.

"Communication and strong relationships are at the heart of a successful branch, and this is something Doug Jackson and I are deeply committed to. Many of you already know us both through our work with NFU Mutual, and we are excited to build on the trust, connections and foundations that are already well established across Kent and East Sussex.

"I would like to encourage you to continue engaging with both of us, whether it be challenges you’re facing on farm, issues you’d like to raise, or topics and events you feel would be valuable for the year ahead. Your insight shapes our priorities and ensures we deliver meaningful support to our membership.

“I look forward to meeting more of you soon and working together to support a strong and resilient farming community.”