Eustice promises action on farmers' incomes

THE FARMING Minister revealed New Zealand producers have floated the idea of working with British farmers to grow lamb market.
Farming Minister George Eustice, alongside Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, speaks to farmers at Skipton Auction Mart. Picture Tony Johnson.Farming Minister George Eustice, alongside Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, speaks to farmers at Skipton Auction Mart. Picture Tony Johnson.
Farming Minister George Eustice, alongside Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, speaks to farmers at Skipton Auction Mart. Picture Tony Johnson.

George Eustice promised the British replacement for the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) would aim to boost farmers’ incomes from their produce.

He told farmers in Skipton Brexit was an opportunity to create a subsidy system far better-suited to British farmers.

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British farmers are facing a wholesale change as Brexit takes them out of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Speaking at the Skipton Auction Mart alongside Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, Mr Eustice said the replacement for CAP should address the “fundamental question” of why farmers need financial assistance.

He said: “We need to be looking at fairness in the supply chain so there is fairer sharing of risk, better transparency so that farmers get a fairer slice of the retail price of their food.

“We should be looking at whether we can make tweaks to competition law to ensure that can happen.”

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Mr Eustice said the new system should help farmers invest in new machinery.

He also signalled a shift away from the CAP approach of paying farmers based on the land they own and moving to an insurance-type system.

“We should recognise there’s something quite unique about agriculture which is the sheer level of exposure it has to risk, the risk of weather, the risk of animal disease, the risk of market volatilty,” he said.

“Let’s see if we can put in place targeted measures to support farmers when things go wrong, when events turn against them, rather than just have an arbitrary area-based payment that requires you to map every single hedge on the farm.”

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The Farming Minister called for “very local” schemes to encourage farmers to carry out work which benefits the environment and financially rewarding those who have higher animal welfare standards.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Mr Eustice acknowledged there would need to be a “transition” period from CAP to its British replacement.

He said: “I think it would be a mistake having had this opportunity to do things differently to say we are too scared to depart from what we’ve been doing for the last 40 years in the EU. I think it is an opportunity to say ‘what’s the right way to do it?’”

The prospect of striking trade deals with countries such as New Zealand and the United States has raised concerns that the British market could be flooded withfood produced to lower standards.

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Mr Eustice said: “I think sometimes farmers are in danger of talking themselves down and being fearful about not being able to compete.”

He added: “I know there’s been a lot of speculation about hormone-treated beef and chlorine-washed chicken and things like that.

“These will be matters for neogtiation but crucially it is quite normal for countries to say ‘we will allow some of your product in but only if it meets our standards’ and that happens in many many trade deals now.”