DAIRY farmers were told by Farming Minister Victoria Prentis the future farming policy will deliver a better deal for them going forward.

Speaking at RABDF’s Virtual Business and Policy Conference, Ms Prentis said the Common Agriculture Policy had been a comfort blanket for farmers in this country, with the largest farms receiving about 50 percent of the money.

She said: “Any future farming policy will be a better deal for farmers. There has been a lot of press about trade standards, but most of the Agriculture Bill is about setting up a structure to pay farmers with public money for public goods.”

She also assured delegates she was committed to making sure standards were not lowered in any future trade agreements. “We are making a Government amendment, which will put more parliamentary scrutiny on the trade piece.“We are committed to making sure standards are not lowered in any future trade agreements including through regulations, which will mean we will not be having any chlorine-washed chicken. We have reached a compromise where most parties are now happy,” she said.

Ms Prentis said there would be a lot more focus on labelling.