Yahoo News How would IW West MP hopefuls support farmers?
Ahead of the General Election on July 4, candidates standing in Isle of Wight West have been having their say on farming.
The County Press asked all six candidates what they would do to support farmers and the farming industry on the Island.
In 120 words, here's what they said...
For the Isle of Wight Green Party, Cameron Palin, said: "Supporting local farming and businesses is integral to our Islands economy, we need to increase the amount of food grown and traded on the Island, as well as across the UK.
"I would work with farmers and stakeholders to transform our food and farming system, so we are producing healthy, nutritious food at fair prices for consumers and fair wages for growers.
"Financial support to farmers must be almost tripled to support their transition to nature-friendly farming and ensuring biodiversity and soil health is conserved and improved, leading to cleaner rivers.
"I push for new farm payments linked to reduced use of pesticides and other agro-chemical, with this we’d see greater investment into farming and better preservation of land."
Ian Pickering, for Reform UK, said: "British farmers are the guardians of our countryside and must be able to farm the land and supply a significant proportion of the food we eat. Taxpayer funded organisations should source 75 per cent of their food from the UK.
"We will increase the farming budget to focus on smaller farms, encouraging and allowing innovation and diversification and attracting young people into the farming industry.
"We must also address the problem of the Island not having a meat processing plant meaning that animals ready for the table have to be shipped to the mainland for slaughter and returned for butchery increasing costs and food miles.
"Again we must look for long term sustainable solutions to maintain agriculture on the Island."
Island Labour's Richard Quigley said: "I've met regularly with the National Farmers Union on the Island, it's clear food security needs to be part of national security.
"We all need farming to put food on our table, but under the current government, it has been largely ignored. 70 per cent of our land is managed by farmers and 60 per cent of our food is grown in the UK, but confidence in farming is at an all time low.
"I'd like to see a return of county farms and agriculture to be viewed as a serious career choice and for us to restore our connection with the land and respect farming. "
Isle of Wight Conservative Party candidate, Bob Seely, said: "I’ve been working with the Island’s NFU and livestock farmers to deliver a small abattoir here which would be more humane, reduce food miles, and make it easier to identify Isle of Wight meat.
"I met with the farming minister earlier this year to press the Island’s case - I was hoping for an announcement on that this Summer. If Islanders elect me on July 4, I will continue to press ministers for this.
"Nationally, we’re committed to: improving our food security, getting trade deals for British farmers and rolling out grants to boost domestic food production.
"By contrast, there were just 87 words in the Labour manifesto on farming.
"Conservatives will always back British farmers."
Nick Stuart, for the Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats, said: "Farmers deserve clear timely support in their decisions and markets. The environmental management approach has been slow and chaotic.
"Any government needs to focus on competence and clarity and we need to ensure that there is a level playing field.
"Where high welfare standards in the UK are not undermined by cheap imports produced to lower standards.
"As a country we haven't been self sufficient for 200 years and we have to support farmers in working on nature recovery and environmental protection that still supports their right to a reasonable living.
For the Alliance for Democracy and Freedom Party (ADF), Rachel Thacker, had not responded at the time of press.
For Isle of Wight East: Emily Brothers, Labour; David Groocock, Independent; Michael Lilley, Liberal Democrats; Vix Lowthion, Green Party; Sarah Morris, Reform UK; Joe Robertson, Conservatives.
