Robert Largan column: ​I’m proud to be a champion for farmers across High Peak

​I’m pleased that this Government feels the same way, with many new policies being put in place to make sure that our farming supply chain is resilient and productive.

Last week, the Prime Minister hosted the second ever annual UK Farm to Fork Summit, bringing together representatives from across the supply chain to discuss some of the key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

To coincide with this year’s event, the Government announced a series of measures to boost food security and support domestic production.

This included a draft of the first ever UK Food Security Index, which will allow the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to monitor short-term trends in food production, productivity and resilience across the UK.

This follows the three-yearly UK Food Security Report which focuses on longer-term trends. These will ensure that we have the best possible information on the state of all parts of our food supply, giving the chance to take action when needed to keep it stable and support our farmers.

Alongside the Index, the Government has published its Blueprint for Growing the UK Fruit and Vegetable Sector, which aims to boost production of fresh produce and reduce reliance on imports.

This is backed by the Government’s new Horticulture Resilience and Growth Offer, which will look to double to £80 million the amount of funding given to horticulture businesses in England when compared to the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.

Building on the Government’s commitment to extend the Farming Recovery Fund to support farmers in England who have been flooded, temporary adjustments will be made for farmers and land managers where the wet weather has led to difficulties carrying out the requirements of the Environmental Land Management Schemes.

There will also be £75 million to support internal drainage boards to accelerate recovery from the winter 2023-24 storms and provide opportunities to modernise and upgrade assets that benefit and support resilience for farms and rural communities.

The summit was important not just for improving policy but also for changing mindsets. It’s vital that we look at farming and food production as an essential part of our economy and long-term security.

I’m proud to be a champion for High Peak’s farmers, working with groups like the Peakland Environmental Farmers, Hope Valley Farmers and Derbyshire NFU.

I’ll keep working from within Government to stand up for our farmers and food security.