Last week I had the pleasure of attending the first Royal Cornwall Show for several years and I am sure most people will agree with me when I say it was great to be back.
It was also great to welcome our Prime Minister to the show where he had the opportunity to see all that Cornwall has to offer. It was encouraging to see Boris Johnson backing our Cornish farmers and food and drink producers, and to also see the crowds offering their support for our Prime Minister.
He received such a positive response and was welcomed by so many people who wanted to talk to him. They clearly recognise the amazing support Boris Johnson and the Government have already provided for Cornwall and will continue to do so, which I will talk about later in my column.
I was also pleased to see Boris encouraging everyone to buy and eat Cornish produce, which I believe is some of the best in the world, and nice to see so many people enjoying themselves as they walked around the show after what has been a challenging few years with Covid.
Boris must have thoroughly enjoyed the Cornish hospitality and his time in the Duchy as he returned to the county on Monday to announce the Government’s first ever food strategy with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and my fellow Cornish MP, George Eustice.
This strategy outlines the Government’s plans to boost food production in key sectors, drive innovation and harness new technology to support domestic production, create jobs and grow our local economy. It also sets out the importance of maintaining and boosting our food security, including plans to strengthen the resilience of our supply chains and boost domestic production to help protect against future economic shocks and crises.
The pandemic and current disruption caused by the invasion of Ukraine are reminders of why UK food producers are more important than ever to our national resilience and food security in what is now an uncertain world. It is crucial that the Government takes action to ensure we are not faced with less choice and higher prices if we are dependent on imports for our food supplies.
The strategy sets out the Government’s real investment in our
food, fishing and farming with £100m in the Seafood fund, £270m across the
Farming Innovation Programme, a £6.9m programme of food system trials to
encourage and enable healthier and more sustainable diets and an £11m
investment supporting new research to drive improvements in understanding the
relationship between food and health.
Importantly to us here in mid-Cornwall, the strategy will help farmers
in the constituency by committing to spend £270 million across the Farming
Innovation Programme until 2029, which will unlock innovation and boost
sustainable productivity in agriculture.
A new professional body for the farming and growing industry – The
Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) – will also be set up to
create clear career pathways and promote the sector as a progressive,
professional and attractive career choice.
Local farmers have often spoken to me about the labour challenges
they face and so I am pleased that the Government has listened to these
concerns and will be releasing 10,000 visas for the seasonal worker visa route,
including extending 2,000 visas to the poultry sector.
This strategy also safeguards the Government’s manifesto
commitment that we will not compromise on our high environmental protection,
animal welfare and food standards in our trade negotiations. A consultation
will also take place on how to improve on and expand animal welfare labelling
to help consumers identify when products meet or exceed our high UK animal
welfare standards. It will also help the public to have better information
about the food we eat, and to make healthier choices.
This
is great news for farmers, food producers and consumers here in mid-Cornwall.
From releasing additional visas for seasonal workers to promoting consumption
of British food at home and abroad, this will provide a real boost and champion
Cornish food and drink.
It shows that this Government is committed to backing our Cornish famers and food producers, and, I am certain, we will see people at home and abroad line up to buy our local produce as we create a sustainable food system, from farm to fork and catch to plate.
I think it is important to remember that this wouldn’t have been possible under the European Union and I am pleased that we can now have control of our own policy, which will allow us to react to the circumstance that we find ourselves in. It also includes making sure our public services such as our schools, hospitals and armed forces buy more UK produced food. Another practical way to support our farmers and something we are now able to do outside the EU.
I look forward to seeing further details of these plans and am excited to see the county reap the benefits of the opportunities that lie ahead.
