27 April 2013
In order for the UK Agricultural Sector to continue to thrive, it needs more targeted investment in research and research centres. This will further enable locally based economic recovery and an increase in our ability to trade our way out of the current debt crisis from trading our technological excellence and best practices to the rapidly developing economies across the globe.
Today I attended and spoke at the opening of the NIAB (National Institute for Agricultural Botany) Innovation Farm Visitor Centre with DEFRA Minister Lord de Mauley, and 150+ farming leaders from across East Anglia.
NIAB - one of the UK's leading and world recognised centres of Agricultural Science - now joined with agronomy specialists TAG (formerly The Arable Group based at Morley, near Wymondham) is leading the way in pioneering new approaches to breeding a new generation of disease, drought and pest resistant crops which can reduce chemical use, lower cost and help health and the environment.
As the Government Adviser on Life Science I'm working with Ministers to co-ordinate the Governments much anticipated Agri Tech Industrial Strategy, due to published in the next two months or so.
The global market for food - and agricultural innovation and technology - is exploding. The emerging markets represent huge markets for the UK, which is still a world leader in Agricultural science - from plant breeding to satnav guided tractors to iphone apps for disease monitoring and a whole range of other exciting technologies. Our county and region, which gave the world the Agricultural Revolution, has huge opportunities to attract investment and create new businesses and jobs. We need to seize the opportunity and encourage and train a new generation of school and college leavers to think about this as a 'hot' sector.
Today I attended and spoke at the opening of the NIAB (National Institute for Agricultural Botany) Innovation Farm Visitor Centre with DEFRA Minister Lord de Mauley, and 150+ farming leaders from across East Anglia.
NIAB - one of the UK's leading and world recognised centres of Agricultural Science - now joined with agronomy specialists TAG (formerly The Arable Group based at Morley, near Wymondham) is leading the way in pioneering new approaches to breeding a new generation of disease, drought and pest resistant crops which can reduce chemical use, lower cost and help health and the environment.
As the Government Adviser on Life Science I'm working with Ministers to co-ordinate the Governments much anticipated Agri Tech Industrial Strategy, due to published in the next two months or so.
The global market for food - and agricultural innovation and technology - is exploding. The emerging markets represent huge markets for the UK, which is still a world leader in Agricultural science - from plant breeding to satnav guided tractors to iphone apps for disease monitoring and a whole range of other exciting technologies. Our county and region, which gave the world the Agricultural Revolution, has huge opportunities to attract investment and create new businesses and jobs. We need to seize the opportunity and encourage and train a new generation of school and college leavers to think about this as a 'hot' sector.
