THE challenges farmers are facing was explored by Bracknell MP James Sunderland last week.
He met with Ben Gibbons from NFU Mutual and Peter Gray at his farm in Heathlands Road, Wokingham. During a tour of the popular pick-your-own venue, they discussed the need for more research into producing more productive crops, while reducing the need for pesticides and preserving the environment.
Mr Sunderland heard first hand of some of the problems that Mr Gray had been facing on his 65-acre farm, which offers people the chance to harvest crops such as broad beans, raspberries, gooseberries, carrots, parsley, beetroots and strawberries.
Grays Farm was, Mr Sunderland said, right in the corner of his constituency and is “in the lovely agricultural, rural part of the area”. The visit was good for his soul: “It’s fabulous. The sun is shining, there are families with young kids fruit picking, it’s all that’s good about being in the countryside.
“The farm shop is very well stocked and it’s very rustic. What’s not to like?”
Mr Gray said it was important that MPs understood the major concerns that farmers face, particularly with the use of pesticides, hence inviting Mr Sunderland.
“We use the minimum of chemicals because they cost us time and money, and we haven’t got that to spare,” he explained. “We do need to use chemicals to get the quality that people want.
“They are completely safe, of course, and I, more than anyone else in the country, am still alive and fit. There’s nothing wrong with using chemical medicine for plants to keep them healthy from a range of diseases and pests to which they are otherwise liable.”
He said that by cutting back on research, it made it difficult for advances to be made. He hoped that Brexit would help with this situation as the UK was no longer beholden to EU rules and regulations on the issue.
“Things have been safe for many years. Pesticide sounds very lethal, but it’s only lethal to pests, diseases and weeds. We need to control the weeds otherwise we don’t get a crop.”
Mr Sunderland felt that the visit was useful, calling for agricultural activity to be ringfenced and looked after for future generations.
“I wasn’t particularly pleased to hear that this lovely farm has been sold for development, which I’m pathologically opposed to,” he said.
“I think that it’s important to understand about agriculture, about the issues that farmers face about the battle with pesticides, the need to keep pests down, but do it in an ethical way. The need not embrace GM crops.”
He also wanted to see farmers able to export their produce competitively, and said that free trade deals “on the horizon” would help.
Mr Gray was grateful to Mr Sunderland for taking the time to visit, and added that he hoped he would do something over the pandemic and the problems caused by self-isolation requests.
“It has serious effects – if our staff get pings, how am I supposed to run the businesses? The farm needs sorting out today, not in a month’s time,” he said.
