The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has reassured representatives from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) over the future for UK farming, ahead of the country’s negotiations to exit the EU.
As Article 50 is expected to be triggered next week, Defra Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsom, and George Eustice, Minister for Agriculture, met with the NFU’s president Meurig Raymond and the NFU’s director for EU Exit and International Trade, Nick von Westenholz, to discuss issues regarding the industry’s representation at the negotiations, as well as its “ambition to maintain free and open trade with the EU once we leave”.
Raymond noted that the two parties had an “encouraging discussion about the form of a future domestic agricultural policy, once we are no longer subject to CAP,” and added: “I am pleased that the Secretary of State and Farming Minister are in broad agreement with us that farmers should continue to be supported after 2020 to mitigate volatility, reward environmental delivery, and to promote greater productivity and competitiveness in their businesses.”
He also stressed that the Defra ministerial team “acknowledge the need to ensure that future reforms to the immigration system accommodate the labour requirements of the food and farming sectors,” noting that he was reassured by the Secretary of State’s positive assessment of the readiness of her department for the task ahead.
He added: “She has good reason to believe that Defra is attracting some of the best talent, both within and outside Whitehall, to manage its Brexit workload and to ensure food, farming and the environment continue to be at the heart of the Government’s thinking in its Brexit negotiations.”
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