Minister meets farmers near Lancing

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom met with West Sussex farmers last week to discuss farming policy.
Minister Andrea Leadsom visits  Applesham Farm, Coombes, near Lancing (photo provided by NFU). SUS-160912-142621001Minister Andrea Leadsom visits  Applesham Farm, Coombes, near Lancing (photo provided by NFU). SUS-160912-142621001
Minister Andrea Leadsom visits Applesham Farm, Coombes, near Lancing (photo provided by NFU). SUS-160912-142621001

The visit to Applesham Farm, Coombes, near Lancing, was arranged by Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing & Shoreham, and hosted by farmer Hugh Passmore.

Applesham is an 850-acre beef, sheep, and arable farm in the heart of the South Downs National Park.

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David Exwood, West Sussex National Farmers Union chairman, said: “We were pleased with the dialogue we had with the minister. The NFU is successfully driving home importance of British food and farming to government ahead of the forthcoming Brexit negotiations and trade deals. But there is still much work to do on future policy.”

Brexit and the need for future farm support via a new domestic agriculture policy dominated discussions between the farmers and Mrs Leadsom, Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.

The meeting was also attended by Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan, West Sussex NFU deputy chair Caroline Harriott, West Sussex NFU council delegate John Ford.

There were talks with the Environment Agency’s chief on Internal Drainage Boards.

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Farming underpins the UK’s largest manufacturing industry - food and drink - which is worth £108billion and employs 3.9million people.

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