Government announces pledges to help UK farmers
By Rob Blair, Partner and ARA specialist
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has set out a list of pledges to boost the farming sector in the UK. Mr. Sunak, who has said that he “will always back British farmers”, announced the raft of pledges ahead of the Farm to Fork Summit, which was hosted at Downing Street on 16 May.
The summit, which will be attended by farming leaders across the country, will aim to increase domestic food production and identify other ways to boost growth and drive innovation amid the rise of inflation and labour issues.
The pledges include:
- Putting farmers’ interests at the heart of trade policy
- Protecting sensitive sectors
- Prioritising new export opportunities
- Protecting UK food standards
- Upholding UK production standards
- Removing market access barriers such as the US ban on British lamb
National Farmers Union (NFU) president Minette Batters welcomed news of the summit and has called for it to be an annual event.
“It is vital that the summit delivers actions, not just words,” said Mrs Batters. “A start would be a serious commitment from the Government to maintaining Britain’s food production self-sufficiency level at 60 per cent.”
The Government has also announced investment plans of up to £30 million to push the use of precision breeding technologies, plus adding £2 million to the UK’s presence at major trade shows.
Additionally, Mr. Sunak revealed plans for 45,000 visas to be available to the horticultural sector, increasing the workforce to an industry that has struggled to meet labour demands.
For more information on how these pledges will affect you, please contact us today.