Farming

Former farming minister calls for Brexit

Published

10 years ago

January 26, 2016

Tom Sinclair

Farmers’ futures: Owen Paterson says better out than in

ADDRESSING farmers at the Oxford Farming Conference last week former DEFRA minister Owen Paterson described the upcoming vote on whether Britain stays or leaves the EU as the biggest historic decision since the Reformation.
But he suggested some farmers were suffering from Stockholm Syndrome – where hostages have positive feelings towards their captors – and would rather remain prisoners of the EU than exert British power and influence on the world stage.
The former Secretary of State, now a leading campaigner on the Conservative benches to get Britain out of the EU, rubbished the idea that farm subsidies would be radically cut by the Treasury if Britain left the Union.
He said: “Outside the EU it will be essential to continue a significant level of support from the UK Exchequer and to reassure farmers that payments would be made by the UK Government in the same way that non-EU members like Switzerland, Norway and Iceland currently do.
“In fact the payments made by these countries are actually more generous than those paid by the EU to member states.”
And questioned after his speech on what guarantees there would be that farm subsidies would be a priority for the Treasury, when measured against other budgets for services like health and education, he was dismissive of concerns because it suited his agenda to be so.
He pointed out that farming, food and drink was the biggest manufacturing industry in the UK, contributing £85 billion to the economy, and that every MP in the country would have businesses in their constituencies clamouring for support. He pointed out the EU currently spends £2.9 billion a year in farm subsidy for British farmers and the UK would be saving £9.8 billion in payment to the EU. He suggested there would be the potential to give even greater support to the rural economy in the event of Brexit.
And he said that as the fifth biggest economy in the world, Britain, going it alone, would get a seat at the table in global discussions on trade deals – rather than being represented by the EU as just one 28th of the European Union.
Mr Paterson told CLA President Ross Murray, who posed a question from the floor, that he was “very pleased” Prime Minister David Cameron had allowed Cabinet Ministers to campaign for Britain to leave. “This is not an internal Tory party row,” he said. “We have got support all across the country.” He said the polls and public opinion indicated the likelihood of a vote to leave was growing and a responsible UK government needed to prepare for that eventuality.
And he told NFU president Meurig Raymond that the British public trusted its government to spend money on defence, health, education and other services and it should trust them to keep up support for farming and the rural economy too, given its importance to the economy, the environment and the landscape.
Some commentators have pointed out that Mr Paterson’s record on predicting the future is a little less than stellar. While in charge of DEFRA, he piloted massive cuts to the UK Government’s flood prevention plans: the sort of policy success that led to his removal from the Cabinet in April 2014.
Mr Paterson’s confidence about the ability of Britain’s rural economy to thrive outside the EU was challenged by EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan who warned Britain, with a population of 60 million, was too small to win a place at the world negotiating table settling key issues on global trade.
And he asked farmers, on the second full day of the conference – now in its 70th year and a key talking shop for the agricultural industry – if they could be confident of getting the support they needed from their own government, when Defra’s budget had been cut by 24% since 2010 while the EU’s had fallen by just 3%.
Mr Hogan said he was actively working to get some of the changes Britain wanted to the Common Agricultural Policy – like an end to onerous ‘greening’ rules and the three crop rule. And he said Britain already got its way 75% of the time on EU issues. Mr Hogan also suggested it was sometimes the British government’s own fault that it failed to get a better deal when it came to amending policy.
He said: “The NFU was correct recently when it pointed out that national “gold-plating” of EU legislation imposes an extra burden on British farmers and that, in the words of Deputy Director General Martin Haworth, “some of the most difficult regulations are national regulations.”
Mr Hogan said it was not his job to tell British farmers – or the public at large – how to vote in the in-out referendum when it is held, probably later this year.
But he concluded: “How would Britain with a population of 60 million fare in negotiating with countries like China, with a population 1.3 billion? In the EU it punches at a weight of 500 million, almost twice the size of the US. It could take the UK years to negotiate deals with Korea, Canada and so on – deals the EU has already successfully negotiated.”
Mr Hogan told the conference: “I remain adamant that the stability brought by the Common Agricultural Policy has provided, and is providing, the foundation for economic growth and jobs in rural areas and all along the food chain.”

Farming

Imported meat bill hits £5bn as Co-op calls for stronger backing for UK farmers

Published

10 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

RISING IMPORTS RAISE FOOD SECURITY CONCERNS

THE CO-OP has called for stronger government support for British farmers after new figures showed the UK’s imported meat bill rose to more than £5bn last year.

HMRC data obtained by the retailer shows the value of meat imported into the UK increased by 15 per cent year-on-year, from £4.33bn in 2024 to £5.06bn in 2025.

The Co-op said the figures raised fresh concerns about the resilience of Britain’s food system at a time of climate change, global conflict and disruption to international supply chains.

Poultry was the most imported protein, worth almost £2bn in 2025. Poland and the Netherlands accounted for the largest share, while poultry imports from Thailand rose by almost 50 per cent compared with the previous year.

The retailer, which says it sells and uses 100 per cent British meat and poultry, said the UK’s growing reliance on overseas supply chains left shoppers and farmers more exposed to global shocks.

It is now backing proposals from the Co-operative Party calling for agricultural co-operatives to be scaled up and better supported as part of the Government’s long-term farming plans.

The policy paper argues that farmer-owned co-operatives can help producers share costs, reduce risk, invest collectively and secure stronger bargaining power in the food supply chain.

There are currently estimated to be more than 500 agricultural co-operatives in the UK, generating income of more than £9bn.

Paul Gerrard, Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns at Co-op, said: “The issue of supply chain resilience is upon us now and there is a clear and demonstrable benefit to the co-operative business model in agriculture.

“An expansion of agricultural co-operation is both an economic opportunity and a political imperative: it directly addresses the need for a more secure and sustainable food system, one less exposed to the volatility of global markets and the instability in a rapidly changing world.”

Joe Fortune, Leader of the Co-operative Party, said co-operation was “a form of strategic resilience” and called on Government to help grow the sector.

The party’s proposals include clearer government guidance for farmers, stronger representation for co-operatives in policy-making, improved access to finance, support for producer organisations, and greater use of public procurement to back British farming.

Farming

Badger Trust urges next Welsh Government to keep non-lethal TB policy

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Charity says Wales should continue science-led approach as bovine TB cases fall

BADGER Trust has called on the next Welsh Government to maintain a science-led and non-lethal approach to tackling bovine tuberculosis.

The charity says Wales should continue to focus on cattle testing, farm biosecurity and support for farmers, rather than wildlife intervention.

According to Badger Trust, bovine TB cases in Wales had fallen by 13.6% by the end of 2025, without any wildlife culling. It said this compared with a 5% fall in England over the same period.

The charity said 5.3% of cattle herds in Wales were not officially TB-free at the end of 2025, down 0.4 percentage points on the previous year. It said 567 new herd incidents were recorded during the year, alongside a 27% reduction in early cattle slaughter.

Badger Trust said bovine TB remains a serious threat to cattle health, but argued that the best response is a cattle-focused policy, including more frequent and enhanced testing, improved farm hygiene, and non-slaughter options for cattle testing positive.

The charity said: “The premature culling of cattle due to a failed bovine TB test is outdated and unnecessary. Instead, strict segregation is an effective alternative.

“The main focus must be on eliminating the reservoir of bovine TB in the national herd in preparation for cattle vaccination.”

Badger Trust also argued that bovine TB can remain dormant in cattle and in the environment for long periods before being detected, which can lead to mistaken assumptions that infection has entered a closed herd from wildlife.

It said the disease can also be spread through contaminated vehicles, workwear, manure and slurry if proper biosecurity measures are not followed.

The charity added: “Focusing on badgers distracts from the real issue, as DNA testing shows that 94-95% of bovine TB infections are transmitted directly between cattle.

“The only effective way to combat bovine TB is to address it at its source: within the cattle population.”

Badger Trust is urging the next Welsh Government to “hold its nerve” and continue with a science-led, evidence-based, non-lethal policy.

Nigel Palmer, Chief Executive of Badger Trust, said the charity wanted Wales to continue “leading by example” in its approach to tackling the disease.

Badger Trust says it welcomes the end of intensive badger culling licences in England in 2026, but remains opposed to presenting badger vaccination as the main solution to bovine TB. It argues that improved cattle testing and stronger farm biosecurity offer a more effective and humane way forward.

The charity also warned that badgers face a separate threat from changes linked to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which it says could weaken protections for badger setts in development areas.

Badger Trust is the leading voice for badgers in England and Wales and works through a network of local badger groups. Its Badgers Belong Here campaign promotes badger protection and public education.

Farming

FUW warns food security must be treated as national security

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Union says rising fuel and fertiliser costs are putting pressure on farmers and food supply chains

THE FARMERS’ Union of Wales has warned that food security must be treated as a UK-wide priority as global instability continues to drive up costs for farmers.

FUW President Ian Rickman and Deputy President Dai Miles met Defra Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Dame Angela Eagle MP in Westminster to discuss the impact of international events on farming, production costs and the resilience of food supplies.

They were also joined by Wales Office Minister Anna McMorrin MP.

The union said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Gulf region had added significant pressure to key agricultural inputs and energy costs.

According to the FUW, fertiliser prices, particularly urea and ammonium nitrate, have risen by between 20% and 30% since the escalation of the conflict.

The union is calling for greater transparency around fertiliser stocks and distribution across the UK.

Fuel costs have also risen sharply, with the FUW saying red diesel has effectively doubled in price in some cases. Wider agricultural fuel and energy costs are continuing to rise across the sector, placing further pressure on farm businesses already operating on tight margins.

The union warned that these cost increases are feeding through the entire food supply chain, affecting production, transport, processing and manufacturing, and are likely to contribute further to food price inflation.

The FUW repeated its call for a UK-wide legislative food security metric, which it says should be taken forward by the next Welsh Government in collaboration with the UK Government.

It said food security is a cross-UK issue, affecting all four nations because of the closely integrated nature of agri-food supply chains.

The union also pointed to recent government evidence, including Defra’s 2024 Food Security Report and its 2025 national security assessment on biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.

It said these highlighted long-term risks to food production, including climate change, nature decline, animal and plant disease, supply chain disruption and exposure to volatile global markets.

FUW President Ian Rickman said: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet Minister Eagle and Minister McMorrin, and highlight the continued impact of recent global instability on Welsh farmers.

“Food security is national security, and recent global instability has made that clearer than ever.

“Farmers are facing surging cost pressures, particularly from fertilisers and sharply rising fuel costs such as red diesel, which in some cases have doubled.

“These are forces far beyond their control, yet they directly threaten the resilience of our food system.

“We urgently need a coordinated UK-wide approach that recognises the strategic importance of domestic food production and reduces our exposure to volatile international markets.

“With that must come regular and meaningful engagement between Defra and agricultural stakeholders across the UK, including the FUW, particularly on policy areas that remain reserved to the UK Government.”