News in brief: The UK government is introducing measures to support British farmers, including initiatives to promote online and endorse home-grown meat and dairy, and facilitate public procurement of sustainable British food.
The UK government has announced a new package of measures to support British farmers. It includes backing calls for industry-led action to signpost customers to ‘buy British’ when they shop online, which will help to make it easier for consumers to find and buy British produce.
The measures aim at supporting campaigns to endorse the taste and quality of home-grown meat and dairy products. It is hoped that this will promote British produce and encourage consumers to choose it over imported alternatives.
Farmers producing sustainable British food under environmental land management schemes will be able to use them to help meet public procurement standards. This will mean that the public sector can buy more British food, which will support farmers and boost the economy.
The government is also starting the recruitment drive to appoint five extra agri-food attaches to unlock new trading markets which will help British farmers to export their produce to new countries and boost sales.
Also, the UK government is investing £30 million in automated, robotic and solar technologies for farmers to reduce costs and improve their productivity.
Farmers welcome the government’s new measures because they are facing several challenges like rising input costs and competition from imported produce. It is also a sign of the government’s commitment to supporting the UK’s food and farming industry.
The National Farmers’ Union said these measures would help to level the playing field for British farmers and give them the support they need to succeed. Meanwhile, the British Retail Consortium said it would help them ensure that British food is more visible and accessible to consumers.
In a statement, Food and Farming Secretary, Thérèse Coffey, said the government will always back British farmers who produce some of the highest quality food in the world.
Coffey said it was important as the farmers contribute billions to the economy. She added that the announcements are acting on commitments made at the Farm to Fork Summit, with which they will be driving forward new farming schemes to deliver a profitable and sustainable food and farming sector.
