Elizabeth hosts Farming Forum

Elizabeth heard firsthand the challenges faced by farmers in the region. At her Farming Forum in Shouldham Thorpe on Friday (20 Jan) she met with nineteen farmers from across South West Norfolk who raised a number of pressing issues. One of the main concerns of the meeting is the ongoing drought in the region. The issue is very localised to  East Anglia and farmers are extremely concerned that this is addressed. Discussion also focused on CAP, Stone Curlews, the proposed supermarket adjudicator, water extraction and research into bio-diversity. There was also discussion on environmental schemes and how they apply to the Fen landscape. Elizabeth spoke of the progress that is being made with farm inspections with reference to the DEFRA debate last week where Elizabeth pressed Farming Minister Jim Paice on the number of multiple inspections. The Government is moving towards a simplified inspection, and where suitable, one umbrella organisation conducting inspections on behalf of a number of agencies.

Elizabeth said after the meeting, ‘The farmers raised a number of extremely important issues especially the water situation. The irrigation of crops, in particular the intensive ones like salads which are a particular feature of the region, need reliable water sources. The ongoing management of this needs to addressed extremely quickly not only for the short term but for many years to come.  I will be raising this with DEFRA and the Environment Agency as a matter of priority. I also plan to take a delegation of farmers from South West Norfolk to meet with DEFRA Minister Richard Benyon so that he can fully understand the challenges currently faced by farmers.’