PCF in the House of Lords
July 30, 2020
We were pleased to be recognised by our Chairman, Lord Curry of Kirkharle, in a recent debate on the Agriculture Bill in the House of Lords, regarding Amendment 144 and Amendment 149. Please see an abbreviated version of Lord Curry's speech below:
“My Lords, I would like to comment very briefly on Amendment 149 tabled in the name of the Duke of Wellington. I have considerable sympathy with the purpose of this amendment. The smaller livestock family farms both in the LFA and in the lowlands are the most vulnerable to these changes. They manage some of the most precious landscapes in Britain and are a crucial part of rural communities. The choice of taking a hard nosed commercial approach resulting in many being forced out of business and a more sympathetic view which will require some special care and support to help these family businesses adjust to the change is a no-brainer otherwise the impact could be disastrous. My Lord the Minister is aware that I Chair The Prince’s Countryside Fund and we have supported over 1000 such farmers through The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme with considerable success. It is essential that these crucially important farming families are given appropriate support to ensure they can adapt their businesses to not just survive but prosper in a brave new world.”
The full text of his speech can be read here.
To find out more about how we’re helping farming families prepare for upcoming changes in policy, why not look at The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme?