Agriculture Bill offers opportunities for the pig sector - NPA
12th Sep 2018 / By Alistair Driver
The NPA has welcomed the publication of the Agriculture Bill, setting out the framework for a significant shift in farm policy after we leave the EU.
NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: “The Bill, based around the principle of public money for public goods, clearly contains opportunities for the pig sector.
“This includes, potentially, support for our continuing drive to improve health and welfare on pig farms and for investment in buildings, equipment and technology to help boost productivity and deliver better environmental outcomes, alongside these high health and welfare standards. Funding to encourage new entrants and for new research could also benefit the pig sector.
“But the details are all still to be finalised and, as a previously unsupported sector, we will work with Defra to ensure any new initiatives deliver meaningful benefits for the pig industry. It is critical, for example, that new health and welfare initiatives focus on delivering positive outcomes, rather than trying to drive system change, and are delivered in the context the market place pig farmers operate within.”
The NPA is currently in the process of consulting with members to define the pig sectors’ priorities under the post-Brexit farm support system.
You can read more about the NPA’s position on Brexit in our Health and Harmony Command Paper response here and in our Brexit Opportunities and Challenges briefing paper here