Yorkshire Agricultural Society chief says now is the time to have your say on farming's future

As a series of consultations are rolled out by Defra across England, farmers and landowners are encouraged to have their views heard and help shape the post Brexit policy.

We were delighted to host one of the major consultation events with Defra last week which was very well attended by over 100 guests, from farmers to landowners, businesses to local authorities who came to the Pavilions of Harrogate.

We want to host important regional agricultural events like this where key stakeholders can have an input into shaping policies that will affect the very people we’re here to support and promote.

This was one of a series of consultation events held across England by Defra during a ten-week process of hearing the views of farmers and other parties within the rural and agricultural sector.

Called ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit’, the consultation sets out the government’s ambitions for farming in England after Brexit.

The thoughts and suggestions of those attending are now being collated by Defra to feed into future policy and processes around how land is managed post Brexit.

Key areas of focus include ensuring we have a strong and efficient workforce to improve productivity and manage risk as well as public money for public goods, enhancing our environment, fulfilling our responsibility to animals, supporting rural communities and remote farming, changing regulatory culture, risk management and resilience, protecting crop, tree, plant and bee health and ensuring fairness in the supply chain.

There are a series of these consultations happening around England, giving farmers, landowners and food producers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of English farming as we leave the EU.

Here at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, we would appeal to everyone living and working in agriculture to have their say too by going online as this will form part of the Government policy and the future of our industry. We must all get behind this and help shape the future.

Farmers and stakeholders are invited to submit their comments and views here.

Nigel Pulling is the chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

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SOCIETY IN PROFILE

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society was founded in 1837 to help improve and promote agriculture in the region.

Educating future generations is an important part of the society’s work, as is encouraging and supporting the agricultural community.

Its educational programme of activities include free courses for teachers, learning activity sheets, Farmhouse Breakfast, Countryside Days, Careers in Focus, Great Yorkshire Show Discovery Zone and veg/fruit box competitions.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society also organises and hosts the annual Great Yorkshire Show and Countryside Live, which both take place on the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is a registered charity and member organisation – with around 11,000 members who help to support the society’s work.

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