Farmers ‘to be given greater input into policy’

Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) yesterday pledged to slash regulation for farmers and said the announcement would be the first in a series designed to cut bureaucracy across all walks of business life.

Among the measures set to be introduced will be simplified environmental rules and a pilot to share data between Government departments to reduce the amount of forms farmers must complete.

The most significant announcement, however, was the news that the farming industry will play an increased role in policy formation, with an exchange programme between staff at Defra and the NFU set to begin in April. As well as giving the farming industry greater input into Government, it promises to look for non-regulatory solutions wherever possible.

The Government has also pledged to publish a much-requested “Food Plan” to analyse how the UK is going to produce enough food to continue to feed itself.

The announcements, made at this week’s National Farmers’ Union conference in Birmingham, were given a cautious welcome by farming leaders, with the NFU bosses urging Government to implement these changes speedily so that farmers can grow their businesses effectively.

Defra made the announcement in response to the Farming Regulation Task Force which it set up in 2010 to look at ways to reduce bureaucracy.

As well as reduced paperwork and greater participation, there are to be fewer farm inspections and a pledge to try to end the six-day livestock standstill rule.

Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman told delegates the announcement would create “a legacy of freedom” for Britain’s farmers and Farming Minister Jim Paice called it “a new approach to working with the farming industry”.

He said: “With rising global demand for food, farmers and their skills are in huge demand... The response to the Farming Regulation Taskforce commits to clear actions that will make it easier for farmers to get on with their jobs and make the most of those opportunities.”

While the NFU welcomed the announcements it questioned why it had taken Government so long to implement the proposals, given that they were recommended nearly a year ago.

Deputy president Meurig Raymond said: “We had hoped for an implementation plan but have instead an Implementation Group. Now is the time for action.

“Farming’s experiences of previous de-regulation commitments have not bred confidence that businesses, as opposed to regulators, will benefit from these proposals.”

The union’s president, Peter Kendall, also used his opening address to again highlight the lack of progress on a Groceries Code Adjudicator, saying that the general public “would be shocked” if it was aware of how food producers and farmers were treated by large retailers.

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