OFC 2010: Change in political tone welcomed by farmers

The political will to support farming has been welcomed by delegates at the Oxford Farming Conference – but many are questioning why it has taken the government so long.

DEFRA secretary Hilary Benn used the conference to unveil a new food strategy that recognises the importance of UK producers.

Shadow farming minister Nick Herbert pledged farmers would have a fairer, freer market to realise opportunities under a Conservative government.

“What we heard was acceptance of everything we’ve been saying for years,” NFU president Peter Kendall told Farmers Weekly.

“There are no concrete proposals in what we’ve heard, and there’s a lot of detail to discuss. But what a fantastic advance on the policies of the past.”

Previously discussions at Oxford had revolved around “scrapping the CAP”, he said, but now the drive is to ensure UK farming is competitively placed to make the best use of the opportunities that arise.

“We won’t see any difference on farm, but politically this is a big step forward.”

OFC director Jack Ward echoed the mood of optimism: “This points to all systems go for opportunities in agriculture. It won’t easy – the business of food production is difficult at the best of times – but all the signals are positive.”

But many delegates felt the resolve to support agriculture was well overdue.

“Why has it taken Hilary Benn so long to recognise the importance of farming, while his party has had its boot on the neck of agriculture for the past 12 years?” asked Suffolk farmer John Kerr.

Shadow food minister Jim Paice told Farmers Weekly that 2010 would see a dramatic increase in the importance of farming. “I think there’s a greater acceptance by farmers that there is a positive future.

“But I genuinely believe that farming and rural communities are crying out for a change in government,” he added.

Read more from the Oxford Farming Conference here.