Written by Tom Allen-Stevens
By Tom Allen-Stevens Farming minister Robert Goodwill has been roundly criticised for failing to turn up to Cereals to show support for arable farmers. Amid fears from farming leaders that the Agriculture Bill has stalled, leaving the sector in limbo, there are now calls for Defra to “push the pause button” on the transition to a new support system until it can provide some clarity and direction. The first day of Cereals coincided with a move by opposition parties in Parliament to take a no-deal Brexit off the negotiating table. This caused the minister to abandon plans to visit the Lincs-based event to get to Westminster to vote against the motion. But with the prospect of a no deal seen as “catastrophic” by many in the farming industry, this in itself was viewed as another snub to the arable sector. “It’s totally disappointing that Robert Goodwill hasn’t appeared,” said NFU president Minette Batters. “And it’s outrageous that he hasn’t even sent a Defra official, just at a time when farmers desperately need certainty and clarity of thinking.” The most immediate concern is over what tariffs arable commodities will face as a consequence of Brexit. “For us, trade policy is every…
The post Cereals 2019 – Missing minister puts dent in arable confidence appeared first on cpm magazine.
Continue reading on CPM website...
If you are enjoying what you read then why not considering subscribing:
