Yesterday I launched the latest of the Government’s new Industry Strategies – the Agricultural Technologies Strategy – to food and farming leaders and media in the East. The Government asked me to lead the regional launch of the Strategy because of my work in instigating, coordinating and helping write the report. As Chair of the All Party Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture and as Life Science Adviser to the Government I knew that, supporting a modern, high-tech farming sector, closely aligned with our world-renowned science research institutions and our leading food industry businesses, was a strategic priority for this Government. Launching this Strategy in the East was hugely significant because agriculture is such a vital part of our economy in this region but also because of the expert science research bases in both Cambridge and Norwich.

I launched the Strategy to an audience of agriculture business leaders and TV and radio journalists at one of the UK’s most successful, pioneering agri-businesses, G’s Fresh Produce, based near Ely. Martin Collison of the Centre for Contemporary Agriculture and G’s Technical Director, Ed Moorhouse, spoke alongside me before we headed out on the farm to see G’s cutting edge salad planting rig in action, pulled by a driverless SatNav guided tractor, on specially designed tracks to reduce soil compaction, and an automated seed distribution system planting a million lettuces a day to within 1cm accuracy.





G’s is a great example of the potential of Agri-Tech. By applying innovative technology to achieve greater efficiencies in the supply chain, G’s is able to be a market leader not just within the EU but even exporting to the USA and Australia. The Government’s Agri-Tech Strategy provides the vision and funding to develop, finance and export technological innovation like this, combined with the latest breeding and growing systems to develop resource efficient agricultural practices and products that British businesses, like G’s, can sell to markets around the world, helping drive a sustainable economy here and abroad. As one of the founding members of the newly established Leadership Council, I look forward to help implementing this Strategy to enable our food and farming industry to once again play the world leading role in pioneering the modern, clean, green progressive farming that we all, especially consumers, want to see.

Here is a selection of the media coverage of yesterday’s launch event:

Link: | ITV News, £160m for high tech farming 'revolution'

Link: | BBC Radio Cambridge (39:26)

Link: | Telegraph Online

Letter: | Letter to APPG from David Willetts, Lord de Mauley and Justine Greening, 22nd July 2013

Link: | EDP, Norfolk could reap the benefits of £160m Agri-tech strategy

Link: | UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies

Link: | UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies, Annex A: Leadership Council Membership



This is a subject I have written on for several years now. You can read my previous articles here.

For more about the All Party Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture which I chair, click here.

The future of jobs in our food and farming industry is hugely important and I was really pleased to support the EDGE Apprenticeship Scheme running as a trial here in the East of England. As you will see from their impressive web site, the scheme - which, crucially, is employer-led - aims to educate, develop, grow and employ young people to tackle skills shortages and a widening age gap in our food and farming industries. The short film here gives a fascinating insight into the opportunities for young people, who are interested in technology, to discover exciting careers without having to move to the other side of the country.