The Prime Minister has praised British farmers and spoken of the opporutnity to deliver a successful domestic farming policy.
Theresa May was responding to a question by Neil Parish, the Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, who asked whether she agreed that supporting food production in this country is a public good.
She replied: ' I am very happy to agree with my hon. friend about the importance of food production in this country. I am also happy to commend the work of hard-working farmers up and down the country, and all those who work in our food production industry. As he will know, we now have an historic opportunity as we leave the EU to deliver a farming policy that will work for the whole industry.'
Her comments were welcomed by NFU president Minette Batters, who stressed that British farmers are performing a crucial role in the nation's largest manufacturing sector - food and drink. 'It is essential that this is fully recognised by government and I welcome the Prime Minister’s support and thank Neil Parish for asking this important question during PMQs today,' Batters said.
“Delivering a domestic farming policy that works for the whole industry is going to be crucial to the nation’s ability to produce food. The NFU continues to make a strong case for a profitable, productive and competitive future for British farming.
“British farmers have a unique and irreplaceable role in producing 61 per cent of the nation’s food while also looking after 70 per cent of the nation’s land. The British public are rightly proud of the high-quality British food that farmers produce. We strongly believe that access to this safe, traceable and affordable food is a public right and essential to each and every one of us - meaning British food should be seen by government as a public good.”
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