Give Agriculture and Food a Cabinet Seat Again
The Tenant Farmers Association’s National Chairman Greg Bliss has used his New Year Message to TFA members to call for the re-establishment of a dedicated Cabinet post for agriculture and food.
“There is nothing more basic to our future sustainability as a nation as our ability to feed ourselves. Although the Government believes that as a rich nation we could, if needed import our way out of any future problems it is too high risk a strategy to rely upon imports of food as the way ahead,” said Mr Bliss.
“That is not to say that international trade is not important. Britain has always been a trading nation and such trade has added to the rich tapestry of our lives as well as providing us with important foreign currency earnings. International trade in food must continue to be an important part of our nation’s identity but we should not rely upon it for our food security,” said Mr Bliss.
“Sadly it would appear that DEFRA has largely forgotten the need to preserve a vibrant agricultural industry in Britain. Although we still hear the right things in DEFRA speeches, policy statements and announcements, its actions speak louder than words. For example, the lack of any policy to control and eradicate bovine TB, the imposition of new Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations without the help to implement them, plans to pass the Government’s animal health bill onto the industry, threatening the re-introduction of set-aside on arable farmers and bringing the Hill Farm Allowance to an end show clearly the Government’s heart and mind are focused elsewhere than on agriculture,” said Mr Bliss.
“Despite the rhetoric that a Government Department which integrated responsibility for agriculture, the environment and rural affairs would be best placed to produce sustainable solutions which take into consideration the needs of everyone, DEFRA has allowed itself to be swayed by single issue environmental groups towards unsustainable policy choices and short term thinking. The DEFRA experiment has failed, it has already lost energy and climate change policy to another Department and it is time agriculture and food went the same way,” said Mr Bliss.
“In this Election year of 2010 when the nation is seeking a renewal of our political culture it is time to think again about agriculture and food and ensure that once again it has the Cabinet position it and our nation deserves,” said Mr Bliss.
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Ref: MR36
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Date: 23 December 2009
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Notes for Editors:
For further information contact Greg Bliss on 07850 716042, TFA Chief Executive George Dunn on 07721 998961 or the TFA’s Communications and Events Co-ordinator, Jenna Kirkpatrick on 0118 930 6130.