Drive to secure progressive policies to help Cambridgeshire farms continues

The NFU’s Back British Farming Day may be behind us, but the work continues in Cambridgeshire, in the East of England, in Westminster and across the country to call on our MPs for policies that truly value the contribution of our farms and encourage growth.

The Back British Farming Day reception in Westminster saw our farming leaders make the case for the industry.

Among those in attendance from the East were NFU President Tom Bradshaw, who farms in Essex, NFU Deputy President David Exwood and NFU National Horticulture and Potatoes Board Chair Martin Emmett, who both farm in West Sussex and NFU Sugar Board Chair Kit Papworth, who farms in Norfolk.

We did see a show of real political support with much discussion on the challenges and opportunities for the industry, but now is not the time to take our foot off the pedal especially with trade deals being negotiated and the Autumn Budget looming ever closer on November 26.

I know that the NFU will continue to do all it can to ensure that domestic food production and farming’s environmental delivery remains valued and safeguarded.

My fellow farmers and growers played a big role during the 10th annual Back British Farming Day on September 10, making the case and calling for forward thinking solutions.

The reception was useful and insightful and our NFU leaders took the opportunity to discuss key industry issues with the new Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds, along with several MPs from the East of England.

MPs from our region in attendance included Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes and Ely and East Cambridgeshire MP Charlotte Cane, among others.

Meetings with MPs were also held in the run up to the event and even virtually on the day due to industrial action on the London Underground.

During Back British Farming Day, politicians from across parties also showed their support on social media and elsewhere with others wearing wheatsheaf pin badges in Westminster and during PMQs.

Since its launch in 2016, NFU members have used Back British Farming Day to celebrate farms in this region and across the country, putting the spotlight on the value of farmers as food producers and for the role they play in their communities, for our health, the economy and environment.

British farming not only contributes in all of these important areas but our farms are also the bedrock of the country’s largest manufacturing sector – food and drink – worth over £150 billion to the economy and supporting more than four million jobs.

We are all proud of what we do to produce high quality, safe, affordable food and this continues alongside our work for the countryside, economy and our communities.

I call on our MPs, from all parties, to match the support shown on the day with action as we head into what could be a very long winter on farm - following the extreme weather this year and last, the geo-political instability impacting food production, our economy and markets and other challenges that are still driving down confidence and investment.

Clarity is needed now, alongside progressive policies that allow our family farms to have the confidence to invest and continue to drive economic growth for our communities and the country.

We have a solid track record of this but need the right backing and building blocks in place to help achieve it.