Gove urged to be more flexible

The current inspection regime and regulation of the farming sector – with its one-size-fits-all rulesbased approach – is “inflexible, outdated and does not work for farmers”, an official review of the system concluded this week.

The work conducted by Dame Glenys Stacey for UK Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove recommended that a new independent regulator should be set up which would take account of farmers’ individual circumstances, offer them practical advice and guidance and incentivise good practice.

Recommending a move away from the rigid “big stick” inspection approach currently used under EU regulations, the report proposed that local advisers would be able to visit farmers to discuss issues such as biosecurity, soil quality or animal welfare, rather than turning up to impose an automatic sanction.

“In other words, the regulator should work alongside farmers – to ‘do with’ rather than to ‘do to’ in order to ensure high standard,” said Dame Stacey.

The report also recommended better use of technology which would allow satellite data and drones to monitor field margins:

“Changing the balance between ‘on foot’ and remote surveillance would make inspections more efficient for the regulator and less burdensome for the farmer,” it said.

However the findings of the report – commissioned in February – are likely to apply to England only. Farmers North of the Border will have some months to wait before a similar review set to be carried out by the “simplification task force” announced by economy secretary Fergus Ewing at last month’s Agriscot is completed.