Farming: 25-year Road Map Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Lord Carrington
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Farming: 25-year Road Map
Lord Carrington Excerpts(1 day, 23 hours ago)
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Lord Carrington (CB)
My Lords, I declare my farming interests in Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire. I welcome the road map, but can the Minister confirm that fruit and vegetable growers will be very much part of this review? The removal of the fruit and vegetable aid scheme has caused considerable distress among those growers, and the fact that the scheme still exists in Scotland means that our fruit and vegetable growers are no longer competing on a level playing field.
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
We are very keen to ensure that horticulture remains at the heart of any future farming plans. If we are to have a thriving food sector and become more sustainable, fruit and vegetables will clearly be critical to that, as currently we import so much of them. Obviously, I cannot say what will be included in the road map, but horticulture is at the heart of our discussions.