Prime Minister Bart De Wever made his first visit on Monday to the Libramont Agricultural Fair, where he acknowledged the pressures facing the farming and agri-food sectors and called for action on red tape, competitiveness and support for farmers.
De Wever, who described himself as “a real city boy”, visited what is widely seen as the sector’s flagship event to meet representatives of agriculture and the food industry, both of which have been hit by a series of crises.
He said the difficulties were not unique to farming, arguing that many industrial sectors in Europe are currently under strain. He pointed to administrative burdens, Belgian and EU regulation, sustainability goals, competitiveness, fair competition with the rest of the world, innovation and market access as the key issues that must be addressed.
Despite those challenges, the Prime Minister said he had also seen “innovation” and “optimism” in the sector, adding that it was encouraging.
Responding to farmers’ repeated complaints about bureaucracy, De Wever said that “few things are as complex as simplification”, but added that authorities at every level must “wake up” and recognise that the administrative burden has become too heavy.
He said he could see signs that attitudes were beginning to change both in Belgium and across Europe. De Wever made the visit alongside, among others, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen.
On rising energy and raw material costs, the Prime Minister said the debate would also have to be held at European level, particularly in the context of the next multiannual financial framework.
He said a new support system for farmers was needed and argued that, at both European and national level, more should be done to strengthen farmers’ position in the supply chain and support them as entrepreneurs.
De Wever also said that “the farmer is the best guardian of the landscape”.
His visit to Libramont continued with an “economic lunch” attended by 135 chief executives from the agri-food sector.
He was also due to hold talks with Agriculture Commissioner Hansen and Walloon Agriculture Minister Anne-Catherine Dalcq.
