Lincolnshire’s Asks of an Incoming Government
Love or loathe politics, General Elections are a time of change, hope and excitement. A new government with different perspectives and fresh policies can reinvigorate society, kickstart the economy and breathe new life into business. Just what farming needs!
With this in mind, RPG and our Founding Partner MHA have gone on tour this Summer to ask British farmers what they need from the incoming government. The response has been overwhelming and clear. As soon as the new Cabinet and Defra ministers have been announced following the 4th July vote, we’ll be delivering an open letter to Parliament to guide them on how to best support agriculture.
After a successful first stop at the South of England Show in Ardingly, Sussex we went north to Lincolnshire. Here we joined the NFU for the first day of the Lincolnshire Show on 19th June for our “Asks of an Incoming Government” event.
What Lincolnshire farmers are asking for
Farming often suffers from the fragmented nature of the industry, but right now all parts of the food supply base are speaking with a single voice. Farmers working across different farm types and in different parts of the country are facing the same challenges: cost rises are outstripping revenue growth, loss of food subsidies have not yet prompted a review of food pricing, how to go green when you are in the red, cheaper, lower-standard imports are undercutting domestic producers. Ultimately, farmers are asking government to value food and look at how to make food production profitable before it is too late.
Here are some of the asks of an incoming government in the words of Tom Bradshaw, NFU President, Louise Manning, Professor of Sustainable Agri-Food Systems at LIAT and Andrew Ward MBE, Managing Director of Roy Ward Farms and Founder of Forage Aid.