On the evening of the 17th of March, Dr Neil Hudson MP for Penrith and The Border hosted the second in his series of virtual farming road shows with 45 Cumbrian farmers and stakeholders in attendance to discuss current issues and concerns in the farming community.
The panel consisted of Janet Hughes, Programme Director, Future Farming and Countryside Programme, at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and Sandy Kapila, Customer Director, Rural Payments Agency (RPA). In his opening remarks, Neil Hudson welcomed all, to what he described as a ‘fantastic opportunity’ for farmers in Penrith and The Border to help develop future government policy by raising issues and concerns directly with officials.
Attendees were given an update by Janet Hughes on the delivery of current schemes and further details on the Future Farming and Countryside Programme (FFCP). This was then followed by a question-and-answer session on a wide range of subjects including the new Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELM) , food security, and trade agreements.
Janet Hughes commented "It was great to meet Cumbrian farmers again and hear their questions and concerns - I was hugely grateful to those who took the time to dial in at what I know is a very busy time of year."
Following the event, Dr Neil Hudson MP stated “It was fantastic to see so many people at my virtual road show this evening, especially in the midst of such a busy period on farms. I want to thank all for attending and a special thanks to Janet and Sandy for listening to my constituents’ concerns about the new agricultural funding schemes. I hope that this session can further enable DEFRA and the RPA to accurately support those who dedicate themselves to the farming industry with the highest of animal welfare and environmental standards.”
