I have been proud to support the Government in standing firmly on the side of farmers and am pleased to endorse its long-term economic plan for food and agriculture, announced by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, Elizabeth Truss.
The plan has four components, the first being to enable a productive, resilient food industry by further cutting red tape (there have been 34,000 fewer farm inspections a year since 2010), as well as helping counter volatility in the global market and working to create more apprenticeships and grow our base of skills.
Since 2010 more than 600 new export markets have been opened, nearly three a week, growing sales by over £1 billion. The second element will build on this by opening more new markets, making the case in Europe for mandatory country of origin labelling on dairy products and buying more quality British food in our public sector.
The third area is about making EU rules work for us. Europe should enable our farmers to utilise the latest technology, including GM, and ensure they aren't disadvantaged by disproportionate restrictions on pesticides. The Government is also seeking to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy and make its new greening rules as easy as possible to implement.
Lastly, the strategy emphasises the importance of safeguarding our animal and plant health, not least through committing to our comprehensive strategy to make England TB-free by 2038.