Plans to boost food and farming exports by more than £7 billion announced at Royal Welsh Show
Plans to boost food and farming exports by more than £7 billion announced at Royal Welsh Show
Plans to boost productivity and grow food and farming exports by more than £7 billion were announced today by the Prime Minister, as he visited the Royal Welsh Show in Powys.
NFU president, Meurig Raymond says there is still much to be done.
Under existing inspection regimes, a tangle of seven regulators carry out more than 125,000 farm inspections a year to England’s 250,000 farms – taking up valuable time and limiting the potential of the farming industry to grow further. Streamlining the process, and making better use of the technology and data, will radically reduce the number of inspections. By summer 2016, farmers will only have to deal with one Single Farm Inspection Taskforce, which will combine farm visits with mandatory checks. It will also use the latest technology to streamline the approach to inspections.
NFU president Meurig Raymond said: “The NFU welcomes the prospect of simplification of the regulatory regime which should remove barriers to growth and encourage investment. At a time when commodity prices have plummeted, delivering reduced administration hurdles must also equate to reduced costs for farm businesses.
“Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister shows that the Government is taking this issue seriously, but there is still much that can be done, as highlighted in the NFU’s manifesto.
“We need to create more opportunities to get more great British products into new domestic and global markets. The NFU shares the Government’s ambition to develop a 25-year plan and develop a profitable, productive and sustainable food and farming sector with good access to research, science and technology.”
