Agricultural Policy
THE TWELVE FUNDAMENTAL BLOCKS ON WHICH TO BASE BRITISH AGRICULTURAL POLICY
Form policies to actively and financially encourage the use of every available plot of UK land to convert into agricultural production.
Put Agricultural Studies, Outdoor Skills and Cookery Skills into the National School Curriculum.
Introduce any pressing higher standards policies from within the UK government laws and bringing Red Tractor in line with this to ensure there is no extra cost to the UK farmer or consumer for doing so.
Encourage people to acquire skills needed for agricultural work and encourage farms to employ more staff.
Have financial incentives in place for food processors, textiles and retailers to fill their products with British first or a quota to use British products before looking to import milk and milk products etc.
Steady the inflation of British food and stabilise the market as far as possible.
Maintain progress with environmental incentives on agricultural land but not to the point where it overtakes agricultural production. Trees/cover can be planted to expand existing woodland and certainly on brownfield sites or at the edge of housing. Any environmental incentive could be part of agricultural diversification schemes on top of agricultural production income. It will encourage more jobs within agri-environment sector
Low to no tariffs on produce which we do not produce in this country and have need of.
Introduction of tariffs for imports on produce which is already produced in the UK
Strike the right relationships with international trade with an emphasis on importing what we don’t already produce in the UK in exchange for what they require from us. This would be done via a tariff based system.
Low to no tariffs on produce which we do not produce in this country and have need of
Introduction of tariffs for imports on produce which is already produced in the UK
Include rule exceptions on food such as Parma Ham, Salami, Camembert etc which are national signature dishes and do have a niche in our marketplace without taking away from our domestic produce sales
Increase biosecurity measures on our plants, livestock and food import checks. We can stop disease absolutely if we are stringent enough.
Increase the power of the law to protect agricultural land, buildings, crops and livestock.
Increase agricultural incentives for farmers to fence off public rights of way within the legal requirement and to gate, fence, dig ditches or plant hedges to prevent rural crime.
Encourage where possible footpaths and bridle paths to be moved to an easier right of way for both the farmer and the public i.e. round the farm yards and round the field edges.
I can see a return on these financial incentives by increased income and therefore tax paid within the threshold because of increased business performance and employment. Furthermore, a reduction in police and ambulance time required.
Policies formed around these twelve commandments are designed to get “Great Britain Farming” once again.
Lucinda Bird
British Farmers Champion