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IN _FARMERS WEEKLY_ ON 16 OCTOBER, COLUMNIST STEPHEN CARR CHALLENGED HILARY BENN’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF ENGLISH FARMING. HERE’S MR BENN’S REPLY: > As _Farmers Weekly_ readers will
know, I’ve said a number of times > over the past year that I want British agriculture to produce as > much food as possible, giving consumers what they want and > protecting the
environment, including the soil and water on which > growing food depends. > > In his opinion piece last week, Stephen Carr called for a return to > a system guaranteeing
farmers a price, as the old CAP used to do. > Somehow I can’t see any of the successful farmers we honoured at > the recent _Farmers Weekly _Awards wanting to go back to the past. >
We need real reform of the CAP to make sure farmers are rewarded by > a fair market for what they produce and also financially recognised > for the outstanding way in which much of
our land is managed. > > We’re not going to unpick the CAP health check agreement to phase > out milk quotas; if we did, it would simply make it more difficult > for British
milk to make it into French and German fridges. And who > really wants to go back to the bad old days of paying farmers to > produce too much and then dumping it all on the world
market, so > hurting farmers in developing countries, of whom we need more, > producing more food. > > UK farming is among the most modern and efficient anywhere in the >
world. That’s because it’s able to respond to the market, and > the story of agricultural production in the UK is not all one of > doom and gloom. > > I know it’s tough in dairy
at the moment and, yes, it’s true > that we imported 48m litres of milk in 2008 – far less than the 1m > litres a day claimed – but we also exported 559m litres. The UK > produced
403,000t of fresh fruit in 2008, the highest level for 15 > years, and beef production and exports were higher than they were in > 1998. And 2008 saw a record wheat harvest – which
shows the > productive capacity we have when the signals are right – although > I know it’s a lot tougher this year. > > The question for government is how best to support the
industry. At > the Royal Show this year I announced a new partnership in which we > will work together to recapture the benefits of set-aside. It also > showed that I am serious
about keeping regulation for where it’s > really needed. The Pig Meat Task Force, the Dairy Supply Chain > Forum, and the new Fruit and Veg Task Force I announced this week, > are
all about bringing the industry and government together to work > out what each of us can do to help boost production and deal with > problems. > > By working in this way, we’ve
had some real successes, such as the > bluetongue vaccination programme and securing changes to sheep EID > regulations. On the other hand, I know there are many who think I > made
the wrong decision on bovine TB, but I took it on the best > available evidence. I believe in being straight with people, and > I’ve accepted all the recommendations of the TB
eradication > group. > > One thing is certain, however. To feed another 2-3bn people in the > next 50 years, the world is going to need a lot of farmers and a lot > of
agricultural production. > > I believe a thriving industry will attract young people whom we want > to be the farmers of tomorrow. At the _Farmers Weekly_ Awards, I had > the
honour of presenting the Farmer of the Year award to > Nick Padwick, whose efforts in training his staff and getting > children interested in farming are inspirational. A colleague was
> told by a Welsh hill farmer that the best thing about the improved > prices we have seen for lamb over the last year was that it showed > his children that there was a worthwhile
future for them in the > sector. > > I’m proud of British farmers. They do a great job, and they’re > ready to face future challenges. The truth is we all want a strong, >
productive, competitive and sustainable industry. > > Sometimes we may have different views about the means of achieving > it, but that’s when partnership is even more important.
Peter > Kendall always says that the goal has to be producing more and > impacting less, and that’s something we can all agree on. ------------------------- Read Stephen Carr’s attack
on Hilary Benn’s vision for the future of English farming Tell us what you think of Mr Benn’s response -------------------------