Government could use Brexit to shelve 25-year food and farming plan

Sources tell The Independent they cannot guarantee strategy will be published this year
Sources tell The Independent they cannot guarantee strategy will be published this year

A 25-year Government plan for food, farming and the environment has been plagued with further doubt and a possible shelving, with government officials saying they cannot guarantee it coming this year.

The 25-year plan was first promised two years ago and had finally been expected in 2017, but officials told The Independent they now cannot guarantee it coming this year.

The industry-led 25-year plan was set up to boost the country’s ambitions for food and farming, setting out how the UK can grow more, buy more and sell more British food.

But Michael Gove's newly appointed role as the environment secretary has raised fears that he could use Brexit to shelve the highly-anticipated idea.

Delays

Farmers have previously criticised the Government for the delays of the long-awaited plan for agriculture and the environment.

Further delays to the publication are set to take place, having initially supposed to be published last summer.

The Government has been seeking farmers' views on a post-Brexit farming and environment policy.

But Ministers have constantly changed their language surrounding the publication, saying the plans will be published 'soon', to 'during this parliament' - meaning it could be published any time from now to 2020, the UK's next general election.

Defra says the Government agrees with the need for a 25 year plan and intends to deliver on the commitments it says it has already made to protect the UK’s environmental assets, including: “putting in place a new ‘Blue Belt’ to protect precious marine habitats; spending £3 billion from the Common Agricultural Policy to enhance England’s countryside over the next five years; planting an additional 11 million trees; launching an ambitious programme of pocket parks; tackling air and water pollution; and ensuring the value of Green Belts and AONBs, National Parks, SSSIs and other environmental designations are appropriately protected.”