Shropshire Star

Brexit: Owen Paterson MP says EU referendum result great for farming

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson has held talks with new Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom to discuss the "fantastic opportunity" for Britain's agricultural industry presented by Brexit.

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Mr Paterson – who served as Environment Secretary from 2012 to 2014 – said Britain would be able to design a policy tailored to its own landscape and rural economy once it had left the EU.

He said agriculture, fisheries and the environment would be the policy area most affected by the Leave vote.

Speaking after the meeting with Mrs Leadsom, Mr Paterson said: "Rural economic growth is vital for this country as the environment and the economy are inextricably linked.

"Environmentalism works best at a local level, people care most for their surroundings when they belong to them and when they have a stake in their future."

He said the UK could now take its seat on world bodies which determine global regulation, adding: "We must ensure that regulations are interpreted so as to suit the needs of the local environment.

"We can now retake control of our borders and implement measures to control the spread of pests and disease, in addition to strengthening our biosecurity and take the urgent action required against the risks of invasive species."

The regional chairman of the West Midlands NFU, Oswestry farmer Malcolm Roberts, said British agriculture was at a crossroads and called on the Government to work with farmers to create a British Agricultural Policy in the wake of the vote to leave.

He said there were opportunities to sell more British produce and he told consumers that buying British was more important than ever.

Mr Roberts, chairman of Oswestry Show, said: "A strong agricultural economy is vital to Shropshire. Farming is the backbone of the economy of the county and its success is paramount to so many subsidiary businesses, from fencing and other material and feed suppliers to local garages, tea rooms, restaurants and shops.

"We see the Brexit vote as a vote for all things British. It is the ideal time to promote British produce and to encourage people to eat British food. The rural economy is very important to keep this region successful. We are at a vital crossroads in agriculture."

Mr Roberts said that the first thing the NFU would be doing in the lead up to Brexit and leaving the EU Common Agricultural Policy would be to press the Government to draw up a British Agricultural Policy.

"In the last couple of decades the EU has been able to steady the volatility in food production," he said. "Support payments to farmers have kept things on a level, taking the peaks and troughs out of agriculture as it was designed to do. They have also protected the environment and ensured that food has been produced at a price the public can afford.

"Now we need a British Agricultural Policy which is what the NFU is looking to draw up.

"We don't know how tight our hands are going to be tied with Brexit. We are the first country to leave the organisation and no-one knows what the implications will be. We need to go back to the drawing board and set out our proposals for a domestic agricultural policy.

"This must ensure produce comes up to our very stringent welfare standards and that the British Agricultural Policy is based on science – not on what is good for Europe in general. One size does not fit all."

Mr Roberts urged farmers and those in the industry to use the summer parliament recess to contact MPs with their calls for a British policy.

"Our MPs will be more answerable to farmers than they have ever been. They will no longer be able to hide behind Brussels or blame Europe for problems."

He said procurement would become hugely important and that the NFU would be calling for assurances that schools, hospitals and Ministry of Defence must source local/British produce.

"We are leading by example at Oswestry show this year. Our catering contracts have gone to local companies and those who source local produce," he said. The show takes place on August 6.

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