Farming minister Mark Spencer MP joined Matty Jackman to hear about the future of the industry in Cumbria on a visit to an event championing the best of the region’s beef.
Mr Spencer, the Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries, was invited to the Beef Expo at the Rural Auction Centre, Crooklands, near Kendal, alongside Matty Jackman, the Conservative candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale in the upcoming General Election.
The National Beef Association Expo has become one of the most significant showcases for the British beef industry, attracting hundreds of breeders, breed societies, farmers, suppliers, and industry stakeholders from across the country to celebrate the UK’s world-class beef genetics and to share ideas and innovations for the industry’s development.
Thanking Mr Spencer for his support, Matty said: “As a proud local it was an absolute pleasure to be able to share ideas about our fantastic beef industry with the Minister.”
“It was clear from the discussions with farmers and from the panel sessions that we attended that Cumbria needs to attract young and ambitious people into the industry.”
“There are threats on the horizon to the beef industry and farming, from such things as Bluetongue and African Swine Flu, therefore we must be advocating for stricter border controls to protect our brilliant industries.”
Matty added that everyone he and Mr Spencer spoke to agreed that the event was a huge success, stating that it was a credit to the organiser, Neal Shand, for his leadership.
