§ 25. Mr. RichardsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she is taking to ensure that British agriculture is widely promoted.
§ Mr. JackThe Ministry devotes considerable effort to the support and promotion of the agricultural industry, as the departmental report, a copy of which is deposited in the Library, and our regular news releases, make clear. We support Food From Britain to the tune of £5 million per annum and provide the statutory framework for the Meat and Livestock Commission and other industry bodies which carry out promotional work. We have launched the continental challenge this year to help United Kingdom suppliers find markets with European retailers. MAFF Ministers are making promotional visits this year to Brazil, Colombia, the Czech Republic, India, Poland, the Slovak Republic and the USA. Our new marketing development scheme, launched on 15 June, could be used to help set up new promotional initiatives.