Agenda item

Food, Farming and the Environment: DEFRA Consultation on future farming policy

(To receive a report by Vanessa Strange (Accessibility and Growth Manager), which highlights a number of key areas covered in the consultation document and provides some initial thoughts around priority issues, opportunities and challenges that are emerging)

Minutes:

The Committee received a report in connection with a consultation document from Defra on "Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit". The views of the Committee on the document were sought. Officers stated that the County Council was engaging with other agencies throughout the county in preparing its response to the consultation.

 

Comments by the Committee and the responses of officers included:-

 

·      As well as stewardship of the land agriculture had an important role in producing food to reduce the reliance on importing food.

·      There was a need to maintain good soil structure. It was noted straw was burnt at plant at Sleaford instead of being ploughed back into the soil. Officers stated that there was much discussion in agriculture about which elements of the industry got priority. The issue of farming co-operatives was all dependent on the business model being proposed but it was accepted that there were limitations of getting into farming because of the cost of rent, etc.

·      Co-operatives in farming were noted.

·      Retail confidence was low and farmers needed to know what was happening in the next five years not twenty five years which was too longer a timeframe and Defra should be reminded of this.

·      Concerns about land usage. There needed to be more joined up thinking as there were issues of a potential shortage of labour due to Brexit which could in turn mean that food would not be produced.

·      The change from large industrial agricultural units to smaller units was welcomed.

·      The re-planting of hedgerows was welcomed.

 

Comments made by the Executive Councillors for Economy and Place and Commercial and Environmental Management included:-

 

·         There was still a requirement for foreign workers in the food sector.

·         The prospect of young people running County Farms was welcomed.

·         Traceability of food was becoming more important to customers and was welcomed.

·         The Government needed to decide its priorities on what was more important in areas like Lincolnshire, i.e. provision of housing or protection of agriculture from flooding.

 

The Committee acknowledged that it was difficult to plan for the next twenty five years due to Brexit, and that there was a need to plan for the next five years. The Committee agreed that a letter should be sent to the Minister for State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and local MPs, on the need to plan for the next five years in addition to the next twenty five years.

 

RESOLVED

 

(a) That the comments made by the Committee on the consultation be noted and taken into consideration in any response to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

 

(b) That a letter be sent to the Minister for State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and local MPs, on the need to plan for the next five years in view of Brexit in addition for the next twenty five years.

 

(c) That the Executive for Economy and Place, in consultation with the Chairman of the Brexit Working Group, in responding formally to the Defra consultation on future farming policy, be endorsed.

 

Supporting documents:

 

 
 
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