NFU President Meurig Raymond has asked the Defra Secretary of State Elizabeth Truss to help deliver a new domestic agricultural policy that works for farmers, consumers and the economy in a meeting this week.

Mr Raymond and Ms Truss’ meeting was organised ahead of the NFU’s ruling Council meeting this Friday, which will discuss the future of farming in light of the UK’s vote to leave the EU last week.
 
On Thursday, Mr Raymond said, “Food and farming is of strategic importance to the country. I have stressed to the Secretary of State that the NFU is ready and willing to work with Government to ensure we have a profitable, productive and competitive farming industry. That work must start now.

“We must take this opportunity to build a new domestic agricultural policy that is shaped to meet our needs - a policy that allows farmers and growers to prosper while delivering the nation’s home-grown food. Getting the right results will take time but we need early answers to questions such as the future of support payments.”

The NFU is seeking guarantees that the support given to our farmers remains equal to that given to farmers in the EU. Ahead of last week’s referendum, the Leave campaign had promised that direct payments would be at least equal to those currently received by farmers. However, Prime minister David Cameron said only that some level of spending would be maintained and experts have pointed out that both Labour and Conservative UK governments have consistently pushed for reduced farm payments within the EU.

Mr Raymond said, “It will be essential that we are not disadvantaged during the future trade negotiations and government must not allow an open door policy to imports produced to lower standards.”

The NFU is also taking aim at the government’s approach to regulation; Mr Raymond said, “We now have a golden opportunity to ensure our arrangements are in future proportionate and decisions are based on sound science.”

However, the NFU acknowledges that “The EU will still be [Britain’s] major trading partner for the foreseeable future,” and if trade is to continue then the EU is sure to insist on comparable environmental and safety standards, as it does with other European states outside of the union. A meeting of the Ulster Farmers Union earlier this week agreed that food producers will be expected to maintain high standards, as regulations are unlikely to disappear once the UK cedes from the EU.

At the NFU’s Council meeting on Friday, union leadership is expected to draft and agree on a set of core principles needed for farming in England and Wales. Other farm unions have also called on the government to implement their desired changes as part of the new farm policy of an independent Britain, including small farmers’ union the Landworkers Alliance and the Tenant Farmers Association, which published its vision in April, ahead of the Referendum.