The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2019 - Issue 64

FARM NEWS 19 • AUG/SEP 2019 George Eustice call for rare native livestock breeds to be supported in Agriculture Bill Dairy UK Calls for Rethink on Cheese Tariffs DAIRY UK Vice-Chair Ash Amirahmadi today called for Government to work with the dairy sector to rethink its proposed tariffs on cheese. Speaking at the Dairy UK Annual Dinner, Dairy UK Vice-Chair Ash Amirahmadi called on Government to revisit their proposed tariff rates on cheese. Mr Amirahmadi outlined how although Government had recognised the impor- tance of applying tariffs to dairy imports, those chosen for cheddar were inadequate to prevent price volatility or a loss of productivity and cause harm to the UK dairy industry. He also high- lighted Dairy UK impact assessments on the effect of WTO tariff rates on the sector, which demonstrated a potential massive shock to raw milk prices. Mr Amirahmadi also outlined the dairy industry’s proactivity on tackling environmental concerns, reflecting both the drive of the sector as well as consumers, to ensure the long-term sustaina- bility of the industry. Mr Amirahmadi outlined how over the course of the last decade the industry had achieved an 18% improve- ment in both energy and water efficiency and had recovered or recycled 93% of all factory produced waste. Amirahmadi also high- lighted future plans to work with industry group WRAP, to tackle consumer milk waste. He also highlighted Dairy UK’s signatory status of the UK Plastics Pact, pledging effective action to deliver higher recycling rates, greater recycled content and eliminate single use plastics. Mr Amirahmadi then went onto call on the industry to unite and fight the misin- formation on dairy from detractors, highlighting that dairy foods continue to be found in 96% of fridges in the UK despite reports that consumers were turning away from the category. £2.5 million extra funding for farmers working together on environmental projects A fourth national round of the popular Countryside Stewardship Facilitation opened on the 5th August until October 4th. GROUPS of farmers and landowners will be able to bid for a share of the £2.5 million fund until 4 October. It is expected to support approximately 40 new facilitation groups to deliver large-scale environment improvement in their area over the next three years. Improvements could include natural flood pre- vention, enhancing wildlife habitats or planting more trees. To apply, groups must submit plans showing how they will work together and share knowledge to protect and enhance their local environment, in line with their local Countryside Stewardship priorities. Successful facilitation groups will also offer invaluable training, support and advice to potential Countryside Stewardship applicants for agreements starting in 2021. One example of a group already benefiting from this scheme is the Wyre Forest Facilitation Fund, which joined in 2015. Since then the group has grown to include 70 farms spanning 5,138 hectares. Over the past year, the group has delivered 18 training events focusing on upskilling other farmers on woodland restoration and creation, hedgerow and tree plant- ing and natural flood management. Farming Minister George Eustice said: We know that more can be achieved by trying to coordinate a landscape scale approach to creating habitats and supporting wildlife. This fund helps support local clusters of farmers to come together to promote similar interventions and options so that the manage- ment on each farm helps to complement a wider effort and we can achieve critical mass as we strive to support wildlife in our countryside. Through three national rounds and one flood-fo- cused round, we have committed £7.8 million of funding to 98 facilitation groups established since 2015 across England. The groups have supported and endorsed 1,200 new Countryside Stewardship agreements, coordinating action to make positive environmental impact in their local areas. www.gov.uk/ government/collections/ countryside-stewardship- facilitation-funding Our native breeds are a public good which must be supported in the Agriculture Bill, so said former Farming Minister George Eustice at the launch of the RBST project to save the rare British Lop pig, confirming that he had tabled appropriate amendments to The Bill. GEORGE Eustice said, “Protecting the genetic diversity that exists within our rare breeds and native breeds is a crucial public good that should be explic- itly provided for in the new Agriculture Bill. The genetic resources contained within rare and native breeds gives our livestock industry the ability to adapt to new chal- lenges around disease and to changing approaches in livestock husbandry. Defra already supports genetic diversity in crops through projects like the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, the National Pea Collection Christopher Price George Eustice and the Millenium Seed Bank. It is time for diversity in farm animal genetics to be placed on the same footing and recognised and supported as a public good.” Christopher Price, RBST Chief Executive said, “Our native livestock are a fun- damental part of our native biodiversity and need to be supported in much the same way as wild animals and for much the same reasons, so we very much support George Eustice’s amendments and hope they will be backed by every MP with an interest in the future of British agriculture.”

The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2019 - Issue 64 | Page 19