Amidst the political, economic and
global turmoil, Mr Bradshaw is calling on the Government to make food
production a priority – and deliver a clear plan of action for farmers.
He said: “With the global impact of
the crisis in Ukraine and rising energy prices, there isn’t a production
country around the world that isn’t impacted. European production is going to
be contracting and there is a very real risk of contraction in production in
the UK.
“I think 2023 is looking worse than
2022 so how does the Government intervene to underwrite food production?
Relying on imports to fill the gaps would be incredibly naïve and very risky.
So, what actions can be taken?
“The Government needs to outline a
food plan, take responsibility for feeding 70m people living on an island. I
don’t see that detail. Food production is not a priority.
“There needs to be a balance with
protecting the environment and the same level of protection and importance
given to food production.
“It’s not that food production is
more important than the environment, because the environment is the most
important stakeholder for the long term, but we also have to make sure we are
producing people’s food.”
In outlining his call for
action, Mr Bradshaw will be detailing at the Norfolk Farming Conference the
current challenges being faced by local farmers. These include:
Climate change/Water resource
“We’ve had the worst drought
for the last 50 years, it really is climate change in action – farmers are
on the front line, so how do we build resilience into those businesses to
mitigate the impact? What is the role of the Government in long term water
storage and infrastructure?”
Poultry
“This sector, like all
others, is seeing huge price increases but avian influenza is crippling it.
This sector has been incredibly independent and commercially focused but
now it does need support from the Government so it can continue to thrive
over the next decade.”
Pigs
“Free range pigs in Norfolk
is a big sector and this industry is 18 months into continued losses. We
need fair, transparent supply chains willing to make sure there is a return
for the primary producer. Consultation has gone on recently around
contracts in the pig industry, there is a lot of hope, but it has to
deliver otherwise there is a real risk we won’t have an independent pig
sector.”
Horticulture
“Irrigated horticulture is a
very important part of the Norfolk landscape and it is another sector under
huge pressure. In the immediate short-term, I am working with Defra to
enable flexible winter abstraction to fill reservoirs but in the longer
term, there are huge challenges with irrigation licensing reform
threatening the viability of some businesses.”
To hear
more about the challenges – and also Mr Bradshaw’s discussion over possible
solutions, you can hear him speak at the Norfolk
Farming Conference.
