GYS: '˜Historic tipping point can be a big opportunity', farmers told

At a discussion on day two of the Great Yorkshire Show hosted by the Future Farmers of Yorkshire group, Guy Smith, the deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), urged farmers under 40 to take a more proactive role in impressing upon the Government the “solutions” that can see their industry thrive.

“It’s really important as farmers we see Brexit as opportunity rather than threat. We must go at this with a can-do attitude, front foot, but we must take our case to government,” Mr Smith said.

“Decisions are going to be made over the next months, years, on trade, regulation, policy, that could well colour the fortunes of our industry for a generation and I particularly urge you under-40s out there to get involved because the point is this is probably going to impact more on you than it is on my generation.

“Particularly at this time we must reach out to that younger generation and that younger generation must accept our reaching out and get involved in the conversation.”

Warwick University’s politics professor Wyn Grant, who was also on the panel, said Yorkshire needs more opportunities to develop its distinctive agri-food offer “of which we can see so many splendid examples around the showground today”.

For fellow panellist Caroline Drummond, chief executive officer of the sustainable food and farming organisation LEAF, farmers must concentrate on what they can control at what is a key “tipping point” for agriculture.

She said: “After foot and mouth, what really struck me was the tipping point of what that created, in that there was radical change. We are now in that same space of complete change.

“Out there now if there are pieces of legislation that are not working for you... tell us... because this is the opportunity for radical change.”

Brexit is a chance for the industry and the Government to work together, she said.

“The reality is that government does want this to work but it wants the solutions. The real opportunity is driving change with us in control as an industry.

“The things that you are in control of is your own business. For goodness sake, farm well, make sure that you have the attention to detail that will drive the maximum and optimised capability of your land and productivity.”

Mark Suthern, the head of agriculture at Barclays bank who also spoke, said Brexit is “just a fog” and urged farmers to follow their business plans.

“All the banks want to lend money to the sector. That isn’t about burdening people with debt, what it is, is about giving people access to finance to allow them to invest in their business,” Mr Suthern said.