Shrewsbury MP accuses Government of not doing enough to support farmers

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, participated in the Westminster Hall debate this week to consider support for farmers with the cost of living.

Mr Kawczynski expressed his concerns to the Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food, Victoria Prentis.

He said: "I campaigned for Brexit to ensure regulations and rules affecting farmers were made here in Westminster and not in Brussels. Farming is very different in all of the EU countries and clearly a one-size-fits-all under the Common Agricultural Policy has failed spectacularly, particularly for our own farmers here in the UK.

"Now the minister and this Government are solely responsible for the regulatory and taxation framework affecting our farmers and unconstrained by the dead hand of EU bureaucracy, I think the opportunities are vast but I am not satisfied the Government is doing enough to support our farmers.

"I say that from a great deal of feedback that I have received from my local Shropshire farmers.

"They (the Government) are not turning this industry into one of the most exciting opportunities for young graduates and young people looking for work.

"We have all the attributes of being one of the most highly efficient and productive agricultural countries in Europe.

"We have some of the best agricultural institutions. We've got the talents of young farmers, we've got, arguably, some of the best soil conditions in Europe, and some of the best climate conditions to turn this country into an agricultural superpower in Europe.

"This is not happening and it needs to change."

Mr Kawczynski mentioned that he recently attended an event organised by the Shropshire Young Farmers and noted their passion which gave him “real hope for the future of farming”.

He praised “one of the best agricultural institutions in Europe”, Harper Adams University, and invited the minister to visit.

He also called for the reinstatement of the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food after the Labour Government disbanded it in 2002.

He said this department provided essential support and advice to food producers across the UK, and that he had asked all candidates standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party to bring it back.

Minister Prentis responded by saying: “I agree that the opportunities for the future of agriculture are vast.

"Let me put on record how pleased I am that we passed, with agreement broadly across the House, the committee stage of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill last week.

"In a week that was perhaps difficult for the Government, that was a high point and is exactly what my hon. Friend means when he says that there are real opportunities for the future of agriculture if we are able to grasp the regulatory space.

"I would be delighted to visit Harper Adams, although my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds (Jo Churchill), who so recently and sadly departed from the department, visited extremely recently and came away full of ideas.”

Edward Garratt, NFU Shropshire county adviser, said: “We are busy speaking with all politicians, from all parties, to raise the issues that matter most to our members as we are working across sectors to get the best possible deal for county farmers.

“The National Food Strategy, for example, represents a clear milestone and in it Government clearly recognises the importance of domestic food production, maintaining our productive capacity and growing more food here, particularly at a time when the war in Ukraine has focused attention on the importance and fragility of our global food security.

“Daniel Kawczynski has always been supportive of the industry, he set up the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farming for example, and he has championed causes on our behalf for Shropshire farmers over many years.

“More recently, we caught up with him at Shropshire Show to discuss food security, spiralling costs, animal and plant health and other industry topics.

“We also reiterated the fact domestic food production and environmental delivery go hand-in-hand.

“Now we need to see the food strategy develop into clear delivery and investment to capitalise on the benefits food and farming delivers, such as our world-leading standards of animal welfare, environmental protection and food safety.”