Rory gives his support to the NFU’s ‘Farming Delivers’ campaign
Rory this week chaired the NFU’s ‘Farming Delivers: Farming’s role in the nation’s future’ fringe event at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, where Secretary of State Owen Patterson, and Defra Minister Richard Benyon shared a platform with NFU President Peter Kendall, Deputy President Meurig Raymond and Vice President Adam Quinney.
The fringe event provided the Secretary of State and Defra Minister an opportunity to set out the Government’s view for the future of British food and agriculture and to focus on the role of the NFU campaign ‘Farming Delivers’. A wide range of topics were discussed by the panel and delegates in attendance including Bovine TB, Dairy Farming and reform of the European Commission’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
During the event, Rory who earlier in the summer recess hosted an important dairy summit at Dolphenby Farm at Edenhall, Penrith, gave his support to the NFU’s ‘Farming delivers’ campaign and said: “”Farming issues have been at the forefront of national political debate this year, and I am delighted to support this important campaign. The NFU remains one of the most effective vehicles for farmers to shape policy, and I am impressed at the way in which they engage with the industry, actively lobby MPs and Ministers, and ensure a coherent, unified voice is heard. The future of farming is not just about food production: it is about better infrastructure, and technology; about health status, and vigilance; about cutting red tape and bureaucracy, and implementing mechanisms such as the Groceries Adjudicator; and of course about sustaining our farming communities. I believe we as a government are tackling these issues – and many more – in a holistic approach to farming that has been difficult to achieve to date. I am optimistic about Cumbria’s and indeed Britain’s farming future, and this debate has shown that we are here to listen to farmers, to act on their needs, and to follow through.”
In its most recent campaign report, NFU President Peter Kendall stated: “We decided it was time to move on from explaining why farming matters to Britain, to measuring and recording the very real benefits farming delivers for the country. Yet while the future of the industry remains largely in its own hands, there must be a strategic approach to food policy from within Government as well.”
Speaking at the event, Peter Kendall was positive about the future of British farming, but warned for the need of strong policy direction: “I am incredibly optimistic for the future of British agriculture, but it does worry me that the positive noises that I hear uttered by coalition ministers on the importance of domestic production are not always matched by policy direction.”
