Farmers needed for CFE challenge - Paice
Farmers and growers have received a call to action from Defra farming minister Jim Paice as the Campaign for the Farmed Environment marks its first birthday this friday.
In helping the CFE partners celebrate all that has been achieved during the first 12 months of the Campaign, Mr Paice said now was the time for farmers, growers and land managers to rise to the challenge and lead industry in looking after the environment.
"I’ve heard a clear message from farmers that they are the best custodians of the countryside," he said. "Now is the time for them to prove this, and to demonstrate that they can take responsibility for their environment. It is vital for more farmers to rise to the challenges set by the Campaign, and to show that the industry can take the lead in helping to enhance farmland birds, wildlife, soil and water."
Since the launch of the CFE on November 5 2009, more than 60 beacon farms are now extolling the virtues of the Campaign and demonstrating the initiative working in practice. There has also been a 13 per cent increase in the uptake of key target options in Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) across the Campaign target counties. CFE partners say this is a step in the right direction but they have urged all farmers renewing or joining ELS to ensure that they include key target options in their agreements to help the Campaign achieve its targets by 2012.
NFU President Peter Kendall said: "At a time when government is looking at empowering individuals the CFE is a good example of farmers on the ground working to make a real difference to our environment and wildlife, while producing quality food.
"The industry has demonstrated it can work together to solve environmental challenges without the need for costly and burdensome regulation. Over the past year farmers and land managers across England have supported the Campaign by voluntarily adopting important land practices that replicate the environmental benefits formerly provided by set-aside. We are now looking for a commitment from every farmer and land manager across England to make the Campaign a continuing success. Only this will ensure the industry isn’t faced with more regulation which could take five per cent of our farmland out of production."
It is also important that farmers retain former set-aside and any other areas of uncropped land to make sure that the Campaign succeeds in meeting its targets.
CLA President William Worsley said: "We are pleased to see so many farmers and land managers tweaking their game mixes, retaining their uncropped land and choosing key ELS management options when renewing agreements. However, there is still more to be done if the industry is to meet the Campaign’s targets, so it is vital we get behind the Campaign so we can better argue against regulation on industry’s behalf in future."
