Politics

Turbulence caused by Brexit and the coronavirus is not going away, but there are some positive lessons which can be learned from both, says Sue Pritchard, chief executive of the Food and Farming Countryside Commission.

After listening carefully to the arguments on both sides, Conservative High Peak MP Robert Largan decided he couldn’t vote for or against the Agriculture Bill amendment to ban low standard imports. Here, he explains why.

The mask has fallen. UK farmers have been betrayed by this Government, which promised to protect our food production standards in trade deals, says Leicestershire arable and beef farmer Joe Stanley.

Ensuring the UK’s food supply is secure must be a key aim in all of our future trade talks, as well as post-Brexit farm policy, says Conservative peer Anne McIntosh.

The Government’s failure to protect our standards in the Agriculture Bill was very disappointing, but UK farmers shouldn’t be too demoralised because they have high quality products to sell, says Andrew Robinson, head of agriculture at Armstrong Watson.

New checks on food products entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK will present a ‘significant challenge’ for business, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has said.

Bodies representing different parts of the food supply chain have urged Government to set out what kind of support it intends to offer businesses in the event of a second wave of coronavirus.

Farm groups have cautiously welcomed the Government’s new tariff schedule, which maintains protections for key agricultural products such as lamb, beef, poultry, cheese and butter.

With Covid-19 magnifying the strategic importance of domestic food production following major supply chain disruption, the National Beef Association (NBA) has warned Government must take food security ‘seriously’.

Llyr Gruffydd, North Wales MS and Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Rural Affairs Minister, explains why the party is launching a new campaign to promote Welsh food.