The Rural Bulletin: 29th November, 2018

Andrew Shirley, Head of Rural Research at Knight Frank, comments: 

"As Theresa May is finding out Brexit isn’t easy. And that’s before we even start negotiating the trade deals that are supposed to be one of the big benefits of leaving the EU. The concerns, detailed below, of the House of Commons’ EFRA committee regarding the import of food produced to lower standards is just a portent of things to come. Former Defra Minister Owen Paterson was reported in the press as saying that Theresa May turned down an offer from Donald Trump for a free-trade deal with the US, but you can be sure that the man who wrote 'The Art of the Deal' wasn’t giving away anything for free. Even if Mrs May can somehow steer Brexit through parliament there’s plenty more negotiating to be done - farmers and landowners need to make sure their concerns are listened to, otherwise the biggest beneficiaries of Brexit may be farmers on the other side of the world." 

Farm subsidies to remain unchanged until 2021

The current Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) setup will remain unchanged for a further year than originally stated to allow farmers enough time to prepare, announced Welsh Government cabinet minister, Lesley Griffiths.

Speaking at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair on Monday (26 November) Ms Griffiths said that the change was in reaction to an overwhelming response from a public consultation on funding farming after Brexit, detailed a BBC report.

"The transition period is vitally important and is why the BPS will remain unchanged for a further year in 2020, to provide certainty and help farmers transition smoothly to a new Land Management Programme."

Food imports must meet UK standards, say MPs 

A group of MPs has warned the Government that food imports need to meet British standards after Brexit after an inquiry into the Agricultural Bill.

The House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee stated that an amendment regarding trade should be made to the Agricultural Bill. 

Farm leaders had also warned that there should be no imports of products that would be illegal in the UK, including chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef.

Chairman of the committee, Neil Parish, was reported by Farmers Weekly as stating that imports produced at a lower standard posed a real threat to UK agriculture.

“Without sufficient safeguards we could see British farmers significantly undermined,” he said. “Our suggested amendment calls for agricultural goods to be imported into the UK only if the standards to which those goods were produced are as high as, or higher than, current UK standards.”

Cut farm plastic, says MP

The agricultural industry needs to reduce the amount of plastic it uses, warns Scott Mann, MP for North Cornwall. Though recent legislation has seen the ban of microbeads and plastic straws, there’s still a lot of plastic used in agriculture, with net wrapping being of particular concern to Mr Mann. 

“It is terrible for wildlife and the marine environment, and ultimately could find its way into watercourses and then into the sea,” he stressed.

Farmers Weekly reported Mr Mann as calling on Defra to set up a research and development fund to encourage the recycling of plastics used by farmers.

In response, Defra minister Thérèse Coffey, urged farmers to follow guidance when it came to plastic waste and stated that the NFU, Environment agency and a number of waste collectors had met to address the issue of recycling farm plastics.

Ms Coffey said: “I welcome the valuable work of operators in the farming sector who are taking proactive steps to recycle farm plastic waste.”

Scottish right to buy should be routine

Land in Scotland should be more accessible for community right to buy purchases, according to a report by the Scottish Land Commission (SLC). 

The SLC highlighted concerns that community acquisitions were reactive and uncoordinated, suggesting they should be better planned, with a clearer vision of how community ownership could be of benefit in terms of development and regeneration.

Farmers Weekly reported Sarah Jane Laing at Scottish Land and Estates, as saying: “We agree that community involvement and ownership should be part of longer-term planning, rather than a reaction to events and circumstances.”

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