Speaking in his opening address at the arable event in Lincolnshire, Mr Eustice underlined his commitment for securing a future for the industry, stating that the UK should see a food and farming plan in place by the end of the year.
He said: “We have a clear manifesto commitment for a 25-year strategy for food and farming, which we've already started working on. Talks are already in place, with an event planned for Defra before summer recess, which should culminate in a strategy by the end of 2015.”
There were several important themes in the strategy, he said, which included enticing new entrants, opening new export markets and developing agricultural technology.
“We need to change perceptions of the farming industry – farming is vibrant and dynamic, with lots of excitement and technology,” he added.
"But as far as technology is concerned, we need to see the next leap forward in farm productivity, as over the past 20 years it's plateaued. This govermnent supports robotics – we need to push the boat out on a European level.”
It was the mention of CAP simplification that gathered the greatest response in the room, with the Minister reaffirming government position on simplifying the policy, stating that they would be pressing Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan for a mid-term review.
“We will, within this parliament, see another CAP reform. We argued for a simpler CAP in the last round of reform, and it's fair to say that because of the determination of the then Commissioner and other member states that it ended up complicated,” he said.
“But we will be pressing Phil Hogan for mid-term review. We want simplification – we see big problems with EFAs and the bureaucracy they entail. We see problems with the three-crop rule, which doesn't deliver the rotational benefit it's supposed to.”
The government, the Minister added, are already thinking post-2020, with negotiations in place for 2017-18 where they will call for a CAP which is less centralised with common objectives, a single market integrity and scope for national government input.
Mr Eustice also added that over the course of this government and beyond, it was imperative to follow an approach to pesticides which looked at the risk, not just the hazard, stating that the loss of pesticide use was down to over-precautionary measures by other EU states.
This, he said, meant that in the future the UK needs to make a big step towards alternatives to crop protection, including genetic breeding for resistant traits.