Don’t let cheap imports put farm and food standards at risk – Yorkshire Post Letters

AGRICULTURE is a major part of the economy in the rural Thirsk and Malton constituency represented in Parliament by Kevin Hollinrake. So too is food, with Malton the self-styled food capital of Yorkshire.

Our farmers and growers are rightly concerned about the future of their businesses when EU rules governing agriculture cease to apply.

The National Farmers Union and Save British Farming are pressing the Government for legal safeguards against reductions to UK standards.

This aim is supported by various supermarkets, environmental organisations and industry experts, including North Yorkshire celebrity chef Tommy Banks.

In recent polling, the public showed overwhelming support for the country’s farmers, expressed concern about how the nation’s food is produced and wants to see a greener recovery from Covid-19.

Simon Hoare, Conservative MP for North Dorset, a constituency very similar to Thirsk and Malton, tabled an amendment to the Agriculture Bill in May.

It would have enshrined in law the principle that imported food must be produced to the same or higher welfare and environmental standards as those required in the UK.

Twenty-two Conservative MPs, including Julian Sturdy who represents nearby York Outer, and all opposition parties voted for the amendment. Mr Hollinrake professes his support for farmers, yet he voted against it. Imports of chlorinated chicken, hormone-treated beef and produce treated with pesticides banned in the EU must not be allowed to compromise our food standards.

From: Jerry Diccox, Main Street, Darley.

I SUPPORT (and have signed) the NFU’s petition against the potential lowering of food standards which could result from trade deals. But if the farmers who protested in Northallerton (The Yorkshire Post, September 26) are those same farmers whose fields were adorned with “Leave EU” banners in 2016, then I feel no sympathy.

That summer you could not drive around that part of North Yorkshire without being quite clear what many farmers in the region wanted. Faced with migrant labour shortages and now the possibility of being undercut by the produce of countries with lower standards, might it be a case of be careful what you wish for?

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today.

Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you’ll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers.

So, please - if you can - pay for our work. Just £5 per month is the starting point. If you think that which we are trying to achieve is worth more, you can pay us what you think we are worth. By doing so, you will be investing in something that is becoming increasingly rare. Independent journalism that cares less about right and left and more about right and wrong. Journalism you can trust.

Thank you

James Mitchinson