During a tour of the South West, the Prime Minister talked to around 20 farmers at Sidbury Village Hall in East Devon. Members had the opportunity to discuss issues surrounding bovine TB, the Sustainable Farming Incentive and agricultural planning issues in the county.
Regional director Melanie Squires helped steer the conversation, to ensure that each topic was properly discussed.
Speaking directly to the PM
NFU Devon County Adviser Fiona Rew said: “Thank you to the Prime Minister for his time and to MP Simon Jupp for arranging the visit.
“We really welcomed the opportunity for local farmers to speak directly to the PM about key issues.
“During the meeting, farmers asked for sustainable food production to be recognised as a public good under the SFI schemes and impressed upon the PM the need for clarity over future schemes.
“They urged the PM to make a commitment to procuring British produce for national services and discussed self-sufficiency targets.
“Farming, food production and the environment go hand-in-hand and I’m sure the Prime Minister enjoyed meeting with our Devon farmers who strive daily to support the nation.”
NFU Devon County Chair Paul Glanvill
“Farmers also relayed their personal experiences of bTB outbreaks and the impact it had had on their businesses, and their families.”
An important opportunity
NFU Devon County Chair Paul Glanvill, who farms near Exeter, said: “To have the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister at the start of an election year was really important for our members so that we could make it known what we want to see going forward for the future of farming.
“The work of our farming community is integral to life here in Devon where family farmers work hard every day to produce great tasting, high quality food, in often challenging conditions, while maintaining our countryside.
“Farming, food production and the environment go hand-in-hand and I’m sure the Prime Minister enjoyed meeting with our Devon farmers who strive daily to support the nation.”
Devon and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, was also at the meeting, with officers from the Devon and Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team.
After the PM had departed for Westminster the usual business of such constituency meetings continued, with a discussion about rural crime.
