TFA CALLS FOR LONG VIEW FROM THE GOVERNMENT

The Tenant Farmers Association has called on the Government to produce a forward strategy on food security and energy security for the nation. 

 

Speaking at the Cornwall Show in Wadebridge, TFA National Chairman Greg Bliss said “At a time when we are facing a global population half as big again in 2050 and when conservative estimates indicate we will need to double the current supply of food over that time, it is alarming that the Government does not appear to be taking a long term view of food and energy security.  Worse than that, the current raft of planned policies and regulations at a national level will do more to undermine the stability of the agricultural sector going forward”.

 

The TFA argues that the proposed new rules for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, cost and responsibility sharing for animal health and welfare, the removal of agricultural buildings allowances and the introduction of electronic identification for cattle and sheep are all misguided and could do real damage to the ability of UK agriculture to meet the nation’s demand for food now and into the future.

 

“The Government needs to be taking a long view.  We need a clear policy statement on how we will be able to meet our food and energy security needs now and into the future.  Exposing agriculture to the free market is not the answer.  The free market operates through adjustments in price and we have already seen that the modest amount of food price inflation experienced this year has been deemed politically unacceptable.  We need a complete re-think of our current agricultural policy given that its roots are firmly bedded in the years of plenty of twenty years ago,” said Mr Bliss.

 

“If we could, it would be good to stand at 2030 or even better at 2050 and look back at the policies we put in place in the latter years of the first decade of the 21st Century and ask if they were fit for purpose.  Rather than introducing policies and regulations which will cause a winding down of our food production capacity, we should be looking at retaining the skills, infrastructure and productive base of our farming industry for the long term benefit of our nation.  We will put at risk our future if we do not,” said Mr Bliss.

 

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For further information contact us at 5 Brewery Court, Theale, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 5AJ
Tel: 0118-9306130, Fax: 0118-9303424, Email: tfa@tfa.org.uk