Gove says productive farming still vital part of his vision

Farmers must be ready to adopt new technology and market their wares on the basis of quality, as future support shifts gradually towards environmental delivery.

Addressing a fringe meeting organised by the Countryside Alliance at this week’s Conservative Party conference, Defra secretary Michael Gove said his “vision” was for a countryside that was healthier and more productive than ever before.

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“I want to work with the agriculture sector to make sure, as we move towards a new method of support, that we don’t do so too precipitously,” he said.

“I want to be able to say to individual farmers that, in broad cash terms, even if things are going to change over time, there will be a degree of certainty that they are not going to see a sudden fluctuation in the income that they get from government.”

The Defra secretary said using things such as drones and big data was “key” to raising productivity, while he used the example of malt whisky exports to show how British producers could use strong provenance to become “world beaters”.

Public goods

With regards the shape of future support, Mr Gove insisted the provision of food could not be considered as a public good.

“We do not have a National Bread Service,” he said. “Public goods, as defined by economists, are things the market economy, left to its own devices, would not necessarily generate.”

These included things such as environmental enhancement, biodiversity and, in particular, public access, which all warranted taxpayer support.

“If we’re going to continue to have public money spent on the countryside, then the more people that are able to engage with it, at an early stage, the better,” he said.

But Mr Gove acknowledged that, in some upland, more marginal areas, there should still be mechanisms to support farming communities.

World Trade Organization rules limited such support to “income forgone”, so it was important farmers in these areas had opportunities to develop other income streams.

“We do need to be open-minded, and we might want to see a degree of experimentation,” he said.

“For example, we’ve seen the reintroduction of some native species which has allowed more income to be derived from tourism, as well as capturing environmental benefits.”