Brexit is 'our chance to make farming great'

THE farming industry has a “fantastic opportunity” to build a brand new agricultural policy that works for Britain.
That was the view of government minister George Eustice, who pledged to improve on the “hopeless bureaucracy” imposed by the EU.
Mr Eustice told last week’s Northern Farming Conference, at Hexham, that farming regulations in a post-Brexit Britain needed to be sharper, less bureaucratic and rooted in good ideas and common sense.
More than 200 conference delegates at Hexham Auction Mart were urged by speakers to pull together and “work as one” to build a better farming policy for Britain and embrace the opportunities offered by Brexit.
Farmers were told to lobby MPs to ensure agriculture remained at the top of the agenda, focus on creating a collective British brand and “make British agriculture great again”.
Mr Eustice reassured a delegate who made an impassioned plea for change.
Durham arable and beef farmer Bill Chrystal said: “Let farmers farm; we are tired of people who should know better stopping us from farming.
“The EU got it wrong because it attempted to codify every single feature of the landscape and every single thing a farmer does with his land, which made it hopelessly bureaucratic. The weakness of the EU schemes is that if they get it wrong it takes seven years to sort it out. We need to be much sharper.”
Mr Eustice responded: “The question is how best we can support agriculture. If we want good policy it needs to be rooted in good ideas. We need to remove the blinkers of EU membership and work together to build a policy that a decade from now the world will want to emulate. I am confident we can do that.
“I think this is a fantastic opportunity for our industry going forwards.
“It is the chance of a lifetime and I am looking forward to building a brand new agricultural policy that works for us.”
Sir Peter Kendall, chairman of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and former NFU President, said the industry had to make the challenges and opportunities presented by Brexit work for farmers.
“I would stake my farm on the fact there is not going to be more money. We need to plan for less support and more competition.”
He urged farmers to use the time before Brexit to really consider the threats and opportunities ahead.
“Think about your farm business very carefully,” he said. See where you sit among your peers, and your global competitors. Make plans. Go to your MP’s surgery and talk to them; make sure that farming is at the front of their minds. It is vital we get this right.”