Dear Editor

I was delighted to see Michael Gove present the Agriculture Bill in the Commons this week, setting out how the government plans to deliver a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations after nearly 50 years under EU rules.

The EU operates an ineffective and skewed subsidy system where farmers are given direct payments based on the size of their land, not taking into account any benefits to the public.

Leaving the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy offers a perfect opportunity to create a fairer and more ambitious system, which will bring great benefits to farmers and the public in Cornwall and the wider South West while protecting and enhancing the environment.

In future, farmers and land managers will be paid for ‘public goods’ like better air and water quality, improved soil health, higher animal welfare standards, access to the countryside and measures to reduce flooding.

Those who provide the greatest environmental benefits will get the biggest rewards.

The new system will also help farmers to introduce new technologies, increase productivity, get a better deal in the marketplace and take a lead on research projects.

Importantly, there will be a seven-year transition period from 2020 to help them plan ahead.

There are already examples where a real focus on the environment is working, such as the Exmoor Ambition hill farming project to enhance the area’s landscapes and communities after Brexit.

The Agriculture Bill will build on this and secure a brighter future for farmers in Cornwall.

Cllr Simon Elliott
Cornwall councillor for the Ludgvan Division