Former NFU president evidence on future of farming shows urgent need for action – Carmichael

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has said that evidence on the future of farming given to Parliament on Monday by the former head of the National Farmers’ Union, Minette Batters, shows the urgent need for government action.

In her evidence to the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, chaired by Mr Carmichael, Baroness Batters outlined the findings of her report into farm profitability, and highlighted her two year deadline for the government to turn around the situation, as well as the risks of divergence in the UK internal market to farmers and food producers.

Mr Carmichael said:

“Baroness Batters’ evidence on the future of farming was notable on two counts – first in her statement that a new farming roadmap must be delivered within two years, and secondly in her call for our governments to work collaboratively to ensure that the UK market as a whole works for all our farmers.

“The challenge laid out on delivering a new farming roadmap should be considered a marker for this government. There has been a total lack of vision for farming from our governments for many years, which has led to the crisis of profitability in agriculture. The two year deadline is no small task but the government will have to rise to it.

“As Baroness Batters outlined, the need for a more collaborative approach between the UK and devolved governments in our food and farming policy could not be clearer at this point. We have moved on from the openly antagonistic relationship of recent years but there is still a great deal of divergence for divergence’s sake, which often does little to benefit farmers and food producers themselves.

“It is vital for everyone – including consumers – that the market works effectively across the UK as a whole.”