Key Tory Farming Policies

As cabinet ministers are appointed to the new coalition government, there is uncertainty about what the future solves for DEFRA and what the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition means for the UK farming industry.

After long negotiations, Conservative MP Caroline Spelman, has been appointed as the new DEFRA Secretary. She is a former NFU adviser and with her husband, co-owns a food and biotechnology business. Mrs Spelman said she would work to increase food production, look at ways to adapt practices to climate change, protect the environment and promote sustainability.

The Tories pledged before the election to raise the profile of UK farming by putting the  ’F’ for Farming back into DEFRA. The key Conservative farming policies include implementing a badger cull, appointing a supermarket ombudsman, reducing the number of rural quangos and importantly getting rid of much of the paperwork and regulations currently burdening farmers. The Conservatives also want a far-reaching reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

The Lib Dems also support a badger cull and the appointment of a supermarket ombudsman but are not after such radical reforms to the CAP.

Back in February 2010, the Tories published new farming policies in the document entitled ‘A New Age of Agriculture – Our Agenda for British Farming’. The main points in the paper were the introduction of rules to prevent development on fertile farmland, reform of the Rural Payments Agency, set up a commission to review existing farming regulations and reduce the beauocracy currently faced by UK farmers, introduce laws about country of origin labelling on foods.

The Conservatives have in the past accused Labour of under-valuing the British farming industry so it will be interesting to see how the new government works with UK farmers to strengthen the beleaguered farming sector.