Food production should be paramount, Gove told

A firming up of the UK government’s proposed policy of moving farm support away from direct payments towards support for “public goods” was revealed in a consultation released this week – but despite applying mainly to England, the plans sparked fierce reaction from the Scottish Government.

Further details on the thinking for future support measures south of the Border were revealed when the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, released his-long promised consultation on domestic agricultural policy following the UK’S exit from Europe.

The consultation proposes that support is moved away from the current common agricultural policy style direct payments, based on the amount of land farmed, and redirected to a new system which offers “public money for public goods”.

The minister said this would principally cover work carried out by farmers to enhance the environment and invest in sustainable food production.

He said that other public goods which could be supported included investment in technology and skills to improve productivity, providing public access to farmland and the countryside, enhanced 0 Michael Gove faces ire from Scottish Government welfare standards for livestock and measures to support the resilience of rural and upland communities.

While making no mention of support continuing at current level beyond 2022 as had earlier been indicated, the minister said the consultation proposed an “agricultural transition” lasting “a number of years” beyond the implementation period – during which direct payments would continue, “providing stability and certainty for farmers as they prepare for the new system”.

But rather than offering a timescale, the consultation asks for views on exactly how long any transition period should last.

However, the Scottish Government criticised the approach – and the lack of clarity over what was English and what was UK policy. It also restated its firm belief that food production should remain at the very heart of future policy: “The fundamental approach to any overall future farming strategy should be that farmers produce high quality food and that it is a clear public good,” said a Scottish Government spokesman. He said it was “concerning” that the UK government was seeking views on whether to remove direct support for basic farming activity or food production in England after 2019.

He said that such a move would be “wholly unacceptable” in Scotland as it would put farmers and food producers at a disadvantage to those in the EU, demonstrating “why it is absolutely vital for Scotland to have full control over agriculture policy”.

It was also claimed that the consultation provided no clarity on the postbrexit funding levels for rural policy.

“Without that information it is impossible for farmers, foresters, fishermen, and environmental managers to make longterm plans post Brexit”. l Minette Batters, newly elected president of the English NFU, said that although most British farmers would much rather farm without support, it was crucial that a level playing field was maintained: “British farms cannot compete with others countries’ agricultural goods on the global market if we are disadvantaged.”

She said it was vital that the current support system wasn’t binned without “tested and operational” alternatives in place.