Dame Angela Eagle, recently appointed as a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), has declared the government’s commitment to the agricultural tech sector.
In her first public appearance since being named Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs in the cabinet re-shuffle earlier this month, Eagle said this is an “exciting time” for the sector, which she said can yield “greater growth, greater profitability for our farmers, and resilient food systems in this volatile era”.
As part of her speech at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, Eagle shared details of a new pilot programme, AgriScale, which aims to support businesses in the sector and “address specific manufacturing challenges on their startup to scaleup journey”.
The cross-government partnership, including DEFRA, Innovate UK, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult partners, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, and Warwick Manufacturing Group.
“Join us, and the sector, to maximise that growth opportunity, invest and partner with our SMEs and international businesses located in the UK,” Eagle said.
“Let’s work together to build a sustainable future for our food and farming systems.”
The minister said the efforts of her department would put agtech on equal standing with other prominent tech sectors in the UK.
Tracy De GRoose, chief executive of World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit owner William Reed, said: “The presence of Dame Angela Eagle at this year’s summit is a powerful signal of the UK’s intent to lead on agri-tech innovation.
“Her address sets the stage for meaningful collaboration between government and industry at a time of unprecedented change.”