Farmers urged to work together (From Gazette & Herald)

Farmers urged to work together

FARMING life is gradually returning to some degree of normality as the foot and mouth crisis recedes.

For members of the general public, the news that the countryside is 'open' again might tempt them to think that everything is fine.

However, the effects of foot and mouth on the farming community will be felt for some time to come and several related issues are currently being tackled by the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Last week NFU president Ben Gill spelled out farmers' and growers' commitment to helping themselves out of the on-going crisis when he attended a food and farming seminar at Downing Street.

Mr Gill announced that an industry group led by the NFU is to establish an "English Collaborative Board" to encourage farmers and growers to work together more effectively and improve their competitiveness in the market place.

The proposal for such a board was one of the key recommendations of the Food and Farming Policy Commission, chaired by Sir Don Curry, to take farming forward in the wake of foot and mouth. Last week's seminar was called by the Prime Minister to look at how the commission's recommendations could be implemented.

Mr Gill told the meeting that the NFU agrees with much of the analysis and most of the conclusions of the commission's report, despite important reservations in some areas.

He said: "Farmers and the NFU fully accept that the survival of farming is largely in their own hands. We are committed to moving the commission's conclusions forward. But it also requires meaningful commitment and implementation from Government. Improving farmer co-operation is one of the commission's critical proposals. The English Collaborative Board will act as a centre of excellence to champion the principles of collaboration and joint venture, helping to create a better integrated food supply chain."

Mr Gill also described how the NFU will take a leading role in several other initiatives stemming from the Policy Commission report. These include the development of non-food crops which Mr Gill said had massive potential and could bring a major boost not only to the rural economy but to the environment.

He welcomed the announcement of a "food chain centre", the Prime Minister's support for the little red tractor food logo and the £5 million for marketing earmarked by DEFRA over the next 12 months. The recognition that there must be action on illegal imports was also much needed, he said.

Meanwhile, NFU food standards chairman Michael Seals has welcomed the fact that the union's campaign for action on illegal animal and plant imports has begun to bear fruit. He said that the NFU will continue to pressure the Government to ensure that the programme of work announced at the Downing Street farming summit is acted on immediately. The NFU has been pressing since the foot and mouth outbreak for better controls at points of entry into the UK to close the door on animal, plant and even human diseases.

The programme of work will include completing a risk assessment of the threat posed by illegal imports, improving co-operation between Government agencies, more publicity to raise awareness and the development of a pilot into the use of sniffer dogs.

Updated: 11:02 Thursday, April 11, 2002