The Great Yorkshire Show: Politicians announce dairy sector regulations, species re-introduction and need to put farming on school curriculum

The Duke of Gloucester was this year’s Royal visitor when he visited the show for the first time on Tuesday’s day one.

Tuesday also saw an announcement made at the show that the government would be bringing in new regulations aimed at bringing in fairness, transparency and accountability across the dairy supply chain with a view to farmers being able to challenge issues with contracts and get a better price for their product (see page 9).

Meanwhile, agriculture and food production should be given more focus in the education system, the president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) Minette Batters has said.

Speaking on the first day of the Great Yorkshire Show, Ms Batters, argued that an education system which gives more value to food production could be beneficial for both the environment and food security, and urged the government to push for this in schools.

Ms Batters said: “If our children learned to value our food and where food comes from, it would start an education that cares about both the environment and nature. It would also end the horrors of food waste, because the amount of food we are wasting is the biggest challenge to climate change.

“We need Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ministers battering the Department for Education’s door down and saying that this is in the national interest.”

The issue of food security also needs addressing, added the NFU boss, especially in light of recent issues that have seen farmers faced with losing land that is being given over to solar panel development.

Ms Batters said: “We’ve got to have a real and serious change in the culture of our food system, and we’ve got to value it a lot more than we do.

“Ultimately, we only have a finite amount of land, and we are going to have to think really carefully and really strategically about where we are going to produce our energy.”

Elsewhere, a balance needed to be made when it comes to re-introducing species to the UK and the impact that they have on crops and farmland.

Sir Robert Goodwill, chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) committee said a “lack of clarity” over Government policies has caused “confusion and uncertainty” among those who might want to help.

A new report by (EFRA) calls for Government to set out a priority list for species reintroductions and those deemed high-risk should also be assessed for their potential impact.

“The current arrangements for reintroducing species are completely inadequate," he added. “The protected status of beavers should be reviewed – and there should be much wider and more transparent consultation on any other potentially risky species reintroductions.”

There are many species, particularly among plants, fungi and insects, that pose little or not risk, the report outlines.

There were opportunities for the right location, added Sir Robert, such as the white tailed eagle which could keep fox numbers down so protecting ground-nesting birds like curlews and lapwings. Wolves and lynx had been ruled out, he said, and that had been the right decision: “Politicians should listen to the science and not just be motivated by a ‘wouldn't be wonderful if we had some wild boar?’ .”

There were “tremendous” opportunities, he added: “Farmers are really interested in wildlife. We are stewards of the land, but we want to hand it on in a better state.”

On Wednesday, Environment Secretary, Therese Coffey revealed that government intervention was likely to follow that made in the dairy and pig sectors, with the egg and horticulture chains being considered next.

Also attending on the second day of the show were members of the new North Yorkshire Council that was formed on April 1 in the biggest local government shake-up since 1974.

As farming families shared their experiences of adapting with working practice and diversification at a panel debate, politicians spoke of links to tourism development.

With a new visitor economy strategy being drawn for part of the region, North Yorkshire Council's leader Carl Les said this was a “huge opportunity” for the agricultural sector.

North Yorkshire’s visitor economy is worth £1.5bn annually, employing 41,200 workers. The new ‘destination management plan’ will focus on anchor brands for places like the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors, Harrogate and Scarborough. It could involve promoting climbing areas, or camping spots, surfing beaches, or small cheese makers.

Coun Les said: “There’s an awful lot of hidden gems, we’ve just got to lift the lid so people know they are there.

“And we need agriculture, we need farmers, to maintain the beauty of this countryside. There is a recognition of what they already do.”

On Thursday, the Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Jim McMahon also met with journalists and exhibitors.

The political and Royal guests that attended the show this year demonstrate the sway that the Great Yorkshire Show has.

Whilst show bosses say the event is high profile, but not political, director Charles Mills, who himself is a farmer, says it has a duty to the region’s farmers to stage these debates, questions and conversations.

He told Country Post: “The political debates are very good to get farmers to come to these things.

“Our farming community would expect us to do this now. If we want to give explanations to the public and farmers alike, we need to attract people like this otherwise we are not doing our job very well.

“I believe that we have a good connection. Robert Goodwill has been great for us but we are quite the stage and platform.

“Things change every day and that is the difficulty of being a farmer, you plan what you are doing and then somebody changes their mind and that makes it really challenging.”