We are burdening our industry with a growing regulatory burden

The A for agriculture has been played down almost to the point of disappearing; a similar fate has befallen RA for rural affairs, but there is no escape from the E for environment. It seems, in all but name, to have become an environment department, with one of the great industries of Northern Ireland – and the foundation of its economy – now largely an afterthought. Agriculture has been politically emasculated and it seems many MLAs across all parties are happy to stand by and watch that happen. Recent announcements have been about climate change action; nutrient plans; animal welfare moves with no evidence they are priorities, and the block on development from restrictions around ammonia. I was never a Brexit supporter, but I fully understood and accept why many farmers voted for it. They wanted delivery on the promises around a more competitive future for agriculture free of burdensome EU regulations.

Instead the UK, including Northern Ireland, is being forced to live, post-Brexit, with the policies the EU had back in 2016 – policies Brussels has moved away from. This followed the political collapse of the Greens at the last European parliament elections. The EU has changed its approach towards agriculture, while we have stuck with the same second-hand policies. We are burdening our industry with a growing regulatory burden to tackle a global climate change issue others, not least Russia and China as huge polluters, are ignoring. The bottom line is hard to escape – farming has ended up less well off here outside the EU and no better off as a result of the return of a devolved administration. Agriculture and food may excel and succeed, but it will not be down to any vision of that future from politicians here or at Westminster. Our situation is even worse than that of farmers in the EU. Policy there has eased back on the pursuit of green solutions; there is a new recognition around the importance of food production, with a new focus on ensuring young farmers see a future. This debate and the contrast between EU and UK policies highlights the loss of political power UK agriculture has suffered since Brexit. It is irreversible without a change of heart away from green dogma at Westminster and, sadly, in the devolved regions. This is not to say that everything is perfect in the EU by any means, but there is more of a recognition there that agriculture and food production are vital, especially in the global situation we face. Food security, as a concept, has moved up the EU agenda, but despite the risks the UK faces from long supply chains and food import dependence, successive UK governments seem blissfully unaware of the risks its food supply chain faces. Rising energy costs triggered the last massive spike in food prices and it could happen again if oil supplies come under greater threat; shipping costs could rise, underlining the dangers of import dependence.

The EU has shifted its focus from green policies to food security and we should be doing the same. The government is stepping up its funding for defence, re-ordering priorities. In that process it should be looking at the resilience of its food supply chain. That includes domestic production and whether the industry is receiving the right signals from politicians.

It needs to consider, as an equal priority with defence, the risks in an increasingly uncertain world of depending on long supply chains for farm inputs and food products. It seems ironic that politicians are talking more about the need for a stronger defence strategy, while ignoring the dangers from undermining the resilience of our own food supply chain. As a political strategy that simply does not add up to a common sense approach to living with a more risky global situation. Agriculture will, as always, respond to the will of politicians. We need to follow the European lead and without much public fuss ease back on the green pedal in favour of the food production and food security pedal.

That makes sense as a responsible government policy. It tops the present approach of seeing food production as the poor relation of a largely unworkable green vision.