The NATIONAL Farmers Union emphasised the importance of the Agriculture Bill having food production and farming at its heart at a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference this week.

Shadow Defra Secretary of State Sue Hayman addressed the importance of food security in her speech to the room, recognition that was welcomed by NFU deputy president Guy Smith.

The panel, which also included Food and Drink Federation chief executive Ian Wright CBE, Professor Tim Lang from City University and journalist Philippa Hall, who assumed chairing duties, debated ‘What should the UK’s future food policy look like after Brexit’.

There was a clear focus on food security during the debate, with all the panellists recognising its importance to the nation.

The Shadow Secretary of State spoke of the importance of improving food security in the Agriculture Bill while also doing more to enhance the environment for all.

The FDF’s Ian Wright said during the session that producing our own food is a matter of national security.

Guy Smith was happy that food security was at the hearet of the evening's debate – held in Liverpool as part of Labour's fringe conference.

He said: “Tonight’s event clearly bought into focus the critical part food security plays and I’m pleased to hear the Shadow Secretary of State recognise its role.

"From farmer and the supply chain to a member of the shadow cabinet, its importance was bought up time and time again.

“This is why farming and food production needs to be at the heart of the Agriculture Bill.

"British farmers and growers are proud to produce safe, traceable and affordable food for the nation, all while caring for our countryside.

“Profitable, productive and progressive farms are best played to deliver this and it is vital a new policy provides the right environment for farmers to do what they do best – producing food for the nation.”

Meanwhile, The NFU believes connecting rural areas with superfast broadband should be easier thanks to the NFU and CLA working with Openreach to help close the digital divide and speed up rollout.

Access to superfast rural broadband will be generated through a newly negotiated fixed line broadband wayleave agreement and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Openreach, the NFU and CLA.

The new national broadband wayleave agreement and MOU is designed to make it easier for Openreach to reach agreement with landowners over locations and payment rates for cables and other electronic communications apparatus.

This smoothes the way for a faster roll-out of fixed line broadband to rural and remote areas, coming into operation on 1 October 2018.

NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts said: “The NFU and CLA have worked closely together to provide the means to enable landowners to easily reach an agreement with Openreach, bringing much-needed, effective broadband to rural areas.

“Statistics from the NFU show that a considerable amount of farmers do not have access to superfast broadband and in an increasingly digital world, it is crucial that our digital communications are fit for purpose.

"This initiative marks another step forward to ensuring our members have all they need to establish and maintain productive, profitable and progressive farming businesses.”

CLA Deputy President Mark Bridgeman said: “Landowners are a committed and crucial part of the solution to alleviate the rural-urban digital divide.

It has taken almost 18 months of hard negotiation but we have secured an agreement that satisfies [all]."