Barclay: We've removed EU red tape from farming
The environment secretary has said that leaving the EU has enabled the government to replace the "rigid bureaucratic system, that didn't work for food production" for a bespoke system that responds to the needs of British farmers. It comes as the government are set to highlight £427 million in grants for agriculture, including a doubling of the amount going to technology and innovation schemes to help farmers increase productivity – such as robotics, roof-top solar and agricultural research. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 Well we've got a clear plan to back British farming, in particular food production and focus more on food security.
00:06 I think people can see with the war in Ukraine, with climate change, with increased volatility,
00:12 the importance of backing food production here within the UK and that's why we're doubling the
00:18 grants for equipment for productivity on farm, helping farmers with solar for example and their
00:24 energy costs, helping them with the cost of pesticide which is also good for the environment
00:29 if we can reduce the use of pesticide through new equipment that is good for farmers but it's good
00:34 for the environment. So we're doubling that productivity grant as part of a wider £427
00:40 million package of support for farming that the Prime Minister will set out today.
00:44 What coming out of the EU has enabled us to do is to replace the old bureaucratic
00:49 system where 50% of the money went to 10% of farms, a very rigid bureaucratic system that
00:57 didn't work for food production and replace it with a scheme that is bespoke to the needs of
01:02 our farmers and that's why we're able then to environment in things that help both the
01:07 environment but also food production, to invest in robotics and new equipment in driving that
01:13 food productivity and helping farmers with the costs that they face on things like energy. So
01:18 it allows us to design our farming support in a way that works best for the farmers here.