I have received the below two written answers from Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (158851):
Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish an assessment of the impact of high fertiliser prices on the volume of planting of wheat in England in 2022. (158851)
Tabled on: 25 April 2022
Answer:
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The answer was submitted on 28 Apr 2022 at 12:07.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (158850):
Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help secure more planting of greenhouse food crops in the context of high gas prices. (158850)
Tabled on: 25 April 2022
Answer:
Victoria Prentis:
An innovative, productive and competitive agricultural sector is one of the Government’s key priorities, and we recognise the role greenhouse crop production has in ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh produce throughout the year.
The Government is working with the sector on a forward-thinking approach. It is looking at innovative ways of growing crops, such as increased use of greenhouse crop production and other state of the art farming technology which can help maximise crop growth and increase productivity.
We are aware of the challenges facing greenhouse growers and other farming sectors, as a result of the recent increase in the cost of a range of inputs including high gas prices, and the impact this is having on the production of food crops.
We continue to keep the market situation under review through UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. We are increasing our engagement with industry to supplement our analysis with real time intelligence.
The answer was submitted on 28 Apr 2022 at 11:33.
April 30, 2022
Good morning.
Sir John
For answers you’d be better off going on to, Harry’s Farm (YT). There he says that high fertilizer prices are not so much (at least for now) hitting the agricultural sector but, surprisingly, the poultry industry. Here is needs government subsidy to keep these business going.
As for the Ministry ? I would not bother asking people who see farming and farmers as another world best avoided and ignored.
May 1, 2022
Not for nothing is it known alternatively as the Department for the Elimination of Food and Rural Affairs.
April 30, 2022
Will the Secretary of State tell us what 2 + 2 equals.
Answer. The Right Honourable member asks a good question. We are committed to an innovative approach so in conjunction with the industry we have formed a NAGO (no answer government organisation) and will respond in due course.
April 30, 2022
“First catch your greenhouse”
April 30, 2022
This is a pathetic response to your question, SJR. Nitrogen fertiliser prices more than trebled already during the course of 2021, well before the Ukraine war. Many months ago it was clear that this would have a very serious impact on British farming. Farmers’ organisations were ringing alarm bells. Yet the ministry with responsibility is unable to draw on any assessment of the situation that it could have made in that time. The spokesman responds as if you had brought up a totally new problem they had not had time to think about before. It’s disgraceful.
April 30, 2022
The answer to you greenhouse question did not require 4 paragraphs just a single phrase.
NOT A LOT
April 30, 2022
I have been highlighting the importance of expanding vetical farming for some time so was patricularly interested to read the answer to your greenhouse crops question, but as usual we got none. To say the government is “is working with the sector” and continues “to keep the market situation under review” is no answer at all. What ACTIONS are the government taking? It seems the answer is ‘NONE’. Useless Eustice strikes again!
April 30, 2022
It amazes me what passes these days for an answer to a PQ. Government remains shrouded in secrecy, and perhaps all too often they simply do not know nor want to know the real answers. That is no way to good governance.