Brexit: Shropshire dairy farmers told to adapt to get benefits
Dairy farmers in Shropshire have been warned they will have to adapt and change if they are to benefit from Brexit.
David Handley, chairman of Farmers For Action, believes Britain's decision to leave the EU provides a "fantastic" opportunity for farmers – but stressed the need for the country to remain competitive with the rest of the world.
It comes after Mr Handley met Andrea Leadson, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Farming Minister George Eustice.
Mr Handley, who has previously helped organise a series of protests over falling milk prices in places such as Shropshire over the past couple of years, said: "I do believe there are fantastic opportunities for British dairy farmers but we will have to adapt and will have to change.
"There are a lot of young people currently breaking through into the dairy industry and in my travels I find them inspirational.
"At our meeting recently with the minister we have put forward a number of ideas for him and the Defra team to consider on how we can make sure our young entrepreneurial dairy farmers have a secure foundation going forward.
"Again all I hear from the over 50s in my travels is this dreaded phrase 'we need support payment'.
"When will people realise no other business in the world gets subsidised as heavily as agriculture? I am not in any way saying that that is unnecessary but for us to go forward and prosper post Brexit, we have to change the way we operate and we have to become businessmen."
FFA has been engaging in discussions with Government ministers and civil servants to help shape the post Brexit policy and has set out some of the key elements of what will be required.
Mr Handley said: "There are one or two of us who have been promoting the issue of farmers working more closely together. It is an uphill struggle and I do not understand that if we are to benefit financially, why then are we all not prepared to work together?"
