Agriculture and stock keeping constitute a sector of the economy that, more than any other, cannot be left to the vagaries of the free market. Government intervention is essential. The survival of our agricultural sector is more important than any other.
Firstly, our very survival might depend, in emergencies, on our ability to feed ourselves. Secondly, if any further agricultural land were to be lost to urbanisation, we should be saying goodbye to rural Britain.
The sector must be supported because the market conditions are quite different. Demand is price inelastic, and supply is also inelastic in the short term because it is dependent on forces outside of the control of the producer. Prices must not be left to market forces.
Our preference would be for deficiency payments that keep prices low rather than the EU system of intervention, which pushes prices up.