A LONG-TERM economic plan to ensure the food and farming sector continues to grow and create jobs has been unveiled by Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss.

Addressing the NFU national conference on Tuesday she said: "Britain’s food and farming industry is a powerhouse of our economy – contributing £100bn each year and employing 1 in 8 people – and has huge potential to deliver further jobs and growth.

"Our long-term economic plan for food and farming will unlock the potential of this vital industry by encouraging more talented entrepreneurs to pursue a career in food, removing unnecessary bureaucracy, protecting the industry from plant and animal diseases, and opening new markets for top quality British food both at home and overseas.”

Mrs Truss said the Government would encourage more skilled people into the industry by increasing apprenticeships, work across the food supply chain to improve skills and with universities to offer new further education opportunities in food – such as the country’s first food engineering degree at Sheffield Hallam.

It would help the industry to expand and add value to products, such as through Food Enterprise Zones to kick-start local food economies and join up farming, manufacturing, distribution and retail firms.

It would help farmers and food businesses deal with global market volatility, such as by exploring a futures market for dairy products and would continue to slash red tape. Defra is on course to cut it by 80 per cent over the course of this parliament, and has axed 34,000 farm inspections by combining visits and expanding schemes to reward exemplary farms with less frequent checks.

To open new markets at home and abroad more top-quality regional foods will be urged to apply for Protected Food Name status; more high quality British food will be bought by schools, hospitals and public sector canteens – creating up to £400m new business for local businesses; the EU Commission will be pushed to make country of origin labelling mandatory for dairy products; new export markets will be opened, focussing on the most lucrative opportunities such as trade with China and the US and markets opened in economies of the future, such as dairy markets in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa.

On making EU rules work for the UK, Mrs Truss said: "We have told the EU Commission that decisions on pesticides must be proportionate and based on science to avoid holding back competitiveness of our arable farmers."

Europe would be encouraged to embrace scientific advances such as GM, and Defra will work with Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to simplify the CAP.

On protecting the country from plant and animal disease, she said the number of frontline vets had been maintained, and said Defra will continue to tackle bovine TB through its comprehensive strategy which aims to eradicate the disease by 2038.