Bill to set out post-Brexit future for UK farming
THE GOVERNMENT’S landmark Agriculture Bill will be introduced today in the hope of giving firm foundations for the farming industry as the UK gets set to cut its ties with the European Union at the end of the month.
Ministers have said a host of measures will boost the nation’s agricultural industry after years of “inefficient and overly bureaucratic policy” imposed on farmers by the EU.
Farming and wildlife organisations welcomed the legislation with more focus on food production, food scrutiny, soil health and the environment as the UK prepares for Brexit on January 31.
The NFU’s president, Minette Batters, said she was pleased the Government had listened to concerns raised when the Bill was previously brought to Parliament before the General Election and had acted to ensure the role of farmers as food producers is properly valued.
But she warned there was still a need to see legislation stopping the import of meat produced to standards which would be illegal in the UK and pricing British farmers out of the market.
The Bill lays out a scheme to
pay farmers “public money for public goods”, which will replace the EU subsidy system after Brexit.
The changes will be brought in over seven years and the Government has pledged to maintain the UK’s current levels of funding for agriculture, which is about £3.4bn, for this Parliament.
The Environment Land Management Scheme (ELM) will reward farmers for measures to protect land, water and air, support plants and wildlife, tackle climate change, maintain landscapes, improve public access and boost animal welfare.
While the scheme has been welcomed by the Country Landowners Association, president Mark Bridgeman urged a 12-month delay in the transition period to allow businesses enough time to adapt.
Mrs Batters said it was encouraging that the Bill now recognised that food production and caring for the environment go hand-inhand.
She added: “Farmers are rightly proud of their environmental efforts and it is crucial this new policy recognises and rewards the environmental benefits they deliver.”
Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said the Bill would transform British farming and enable it to strike a balance between food production and the environment.
She added: “This is one of the most important environmental reforms for many years, rewarding farmers for the work they do to safeguard our environment and helping us meet crucial goals on climate change and protecting nature and biodiversity.”
Richard Benwell, the CEO of the Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition, welcomed the return of the Bill with payments for the environment, public access and animal welfare at its core.