Defra Secretary Michael Gove has ‘no plan’ for the future of British agriculture, according to a leading Irish dairy group.
Conor Mulvihill, director of Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), which represents primary and secondary dairy processing in the Republic, made the remarks at a Euractiv Brexit event in London this week.
Speaking about the Mr Gove’s largely well-received speech at Oxford Farming Conference, Mr Mulvihill said: “We have to see what the plan is. We do not see a plan.
“I read the speech; I do not see any plan for British agriculture there. I see lots of aspirations. I see aspirations from a man who knows he is not going to be there in two years’ time.
Cheap food
“What is that plan for post-Brexit farming? The historic situation for the UK in terms of food is a cheap food policy. That is not going to change post-Brexit.”
Ex-Farming Minister Lord Rooker agreed, telling attendees farmers could not wait for new rules to be outlined in the Agriculture Bill, which is due to be published this spring.
“We have got crops already sown in the autumn, calves born from mid-2017, milk and some premium cheeses which will be marketed in a post-Brexit trading environment”, Lord Rooker said.
“People need to know what the environment is going to be like.”
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