Dear Sir,

Farmers’ Union leaders like to emphasise the importance of retaining the subsidy income support system for UK farmers following Brexit. A recent visit to New Zealand by representatives of various UK food and farming organisations were told that their hosts were proud of the fact that subsidies had been removed because this had been the “making of their industry and they wanted everyone else to do the same”.

I conclude that subsidies must have been very detrimental to farming in New Zealand and wonder why we should retain subsidies if their removal could allow us to be as proud and successful as them.

I also wonder why the New Zealanders want everyone else to remove subsidies because this would abolish their competitive advantage when marketing their produce; it must be better for them if we retain our subsidy handicap.

Yours,

Duncan Pickard,

Straiton Farm,

Balmullo.