The real work in selling collaboration concepts to farmers as part of the food chain starts now, said food minister Lord Whitty at this week’s strategy paper launch by English Farming and Food Partnerships.
The government has kickstarted the process with a downpayment of 20% on a planned £12.5m five-year grant scheme to EFFP to promote collaboration among farmers and the rest of the food chain.
This was designed to take the Curry Report on the future of food and farming to the next stage of maximising returns for producers by reconnecting them with the processors, retailers, consumers and foodservice sector. “What is
needed now is a means to ensure these aims and plans are understood more widely,” said Lord Whitty.
“English farming needs to succeed in a profitable and sustainable way and compete in national and international markets.”
The new action plan is the result of a six-month research study carried out by Promar International, MORI and Cranfield University. Among its conclusions were: the need for a harder sell to farmers of the benefits of collaboration; more business and management advice; education on commercial opportunities in the food chain; the need for more performance benchmarking; and more health checks for existing farmer-controlled businesses.
It also pointed out that in stark contrast to many other countries, the UK had suffered from a deficit of policy regarding farmer collaboration and called for updated tax and legislation systems particularly in UK competition law.
Lord Whitty said the Office of Fair Trading was prepared to talk to anyone with proposals on integration as long as it did not impact on market manipulation.
Vic Robertson
The government has kickstarted the process with a downpayment of 20% on a planned £12.5m five-year grant scheme to EFFP to promote collaboration among farmers and the rest of the food chain.
This was designed to take the Curry Report on the future of food and farming to the next stage of maximising returns for producers by reconnecting them with the processors, retailers, consumers and foodservice sector. “What is
needed now is a means to ensure these aims and plans are understood more widely,” said Lord Whitty.
“English farming needs to succeed in a profitable and sustainable way and compete in national and international markets.”
The new action plan is the result of a six-month research study carried out by Promar International, MORI and Cranfield University. Among its conclusions were: the need for a harder sell to farmers of the benefits of collaboration; more business and management advice; education on commercial opportunities in the food chain; the need for more performance benchmarking; and more health checks for existing farmer-controlled businesses.
It also pointed out that in stark contrast to many other countries, the UK had suffered from a deficit of policy regarding farmer collaboration and called for updated tax and legislation systems particularly in UK competition law.
Lord Whitty said the Office of Fair Trading was prepared to talk to anyone with proposals on integration as long as it did not impact on market manipulation.
Vic Robertson
No comments yet