On Back British Farming Day yesterday, Bill celebrated the fantastic produce of British agriculture.
The day is a celebration of British farmers and growers and the high-quality, environmentally friendly and nutritious food they produce for the country.
To mark the occasion, Sir Bill attended a reception at 10 Downing Street and wore the emblem of Back British Farming Day: a wheatsheaf pin badge.
There were also announcements to celebrate on the day.
Bill was delighted to learn that the Government would be supporting a ‘Buy British’ section on supermarket’s online stores, following an open letter which he signed alongside over 100 other MPs.
The letter champions the work of Britain’s farmers in ensuring food security, supporting strong local economies and preserving and protecting the environment, while empowering the public to be able to make easy choices in how they shop for their food.
The Government also unveiled a package of new measures to support the agricultural sector.
These include £15 million for farmers to install rooftop solar equipment and plans to allocate an additional £15 million to farmers and growers in England to fund the purchase of innovative robotic and automated equipment.
Sir Bill Wiggin MP commented:
I was proud to wear the wheatsheaf pin badge on Back British Farming Day to show my support for the farmers and growers in North Herefordshire who do a great job in providing the nation with high-quality British food, alongside caring for our much-loved countryside.
Buying British is good for local food producers, good for the environment and good for consumer choice.
It’s a win all round and I hope supermarkets take up this initiative.
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Thérèse Coffey, said:
This Government will always back British farmers who produce some of the highest quality food in the world, contribute billions to our economy and are the custodians of our countryside.
