An industry of equal opportunity

Courier Farming columnists lead a debate on how farming ranks on the issue of equality

Furthermore, said Linda, some 83% of the UK agricultural workforce is male.

“It seems we have some way to go,” she said wryly.

Linda also blamed inequality in agriculture on the tendency for farmers to hand over their business to a son rather than a daughter.

One young lady from the audience said she ran the farm but often when visitors came on business they would ask: “Don’t you have a brother?”

Guy Smith, vice-president of NFU England and Wales, made what turned out to be telling point in favour of the motion.

“Many people listen to what is said at the Oxford Farming Conference,” he said.

“The message must not be that this is an industry afraid of change. It has to be one where all people are welcome.”

This need to be seen as optimistic clearly counted for much.

Back at the despatch box, Aled Rhys Jones, deputy chief executive of the Royal Welsh Show and Michael Blanche’s official supporter, agreed that pessimism was the ever- present enemy.

“When farmers catch a glimpse of a light at the end of the tunnel, their natural reaction is to order up more tunnel,” he said.

“This motion is between optimism and pessimism.

“There must already be an attraction to farming because many YFC members are from non-farming backgrounds.”

Gareth Barlow, a young farmer, butcher and occasional television presenter, was Linda’s appointed supporter.

“Equality and opportunity can often be dictated by geography,” he said.

“A new entrant in Cambridgeshire with its 216 tenanted county council farms has a far better chance of getting a foothold than one in North Yorkshire where there are now only 24 such farms

“We have to be bold tonight and acknowledge our weaknesses.”

His cry was in vain however, if only by a small margin.

When it came to the vote, 175 delegates filed through the “Ayes” door compared to 158 through the “Nays”.