MP Derek Thomas is urging everyone employed in the agricultural sector in West Cornwall to have their say on the future of the industry.

This request follows the government's consultation on ‘The Future for Food, Farming and the Environment’.

Mr Thomas recently held a meeting in St Buryan with several dozen farmers where he briefed them on the government proposals and listened to issues which the farmers raised.

He said: “Here in West Cornwall, the agricultural sector is responsible for some of the finest food produced anywhere in the UK and farmers have worked wonders to preserve and enhance our stunning environment.

“However they have managed this despite rather than because of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which, for more than forty years, has decided how we farm our land, the food we grow and the state of the natural environment.

“This has resulted in some glaring injustices - for example, CAP has skewed its subsidy system heavily in favour of the largest landholdings, so disadvantaging the farmer in West Cornwall, where most of the farms are comparatively small.

“The government, in ‘The Future for Food, Farming and the Environment’, has some very sensible and exciting ideas on how our agricultural land should be used in the future but it needs to know more about the unique challenges faced by farmers in the far west of Cornwall or on Scilly.

“This consultation provides a one-off opportunity for people involved in West Cornwall’s agri-sector to have a real input into how the industry should develop after we leave the EU and I would encourage anyone involved to have their say.”

To take part in the Defra consultation, visit gov.uk/government/consultations/the-future-for-food-farming-and-the-environment. The consultation ends on 8th May.