Mayoral candidate Keane Duncan will seek local control of farming subsidies under a first-of-its-kind devolution pilot.
Mr Duncan said he hopes to “wrestle control from Westminster and put North Yorkshire farmers in charge” of agricultural policy in the county if he is elected mayor in May.
Under the “unprecedented” transfer of power, Mr Duncan hopes to devise England’s first-ever Local Agricultural Policy, tailored to the needs of North Yorkshire’s diverse farming industry.
If agreed, payments to farmers would be set and administered by the new York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority, rather than by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its Rural Payments Agency.
Mr Duncan said: “I want to wrestle control from Westminster and put North Yorkshire farmers in charge of our county’s agricultural policy.
“This local control and local accountability would allow our hard-working farmers to access the tailored support they need and deserve.
“It would give us flexibility to meet our specific challenges and maximise our unique strengths; promoting sustainable practices, enhancing the environment and driving food production.
“The post-Brexit era gives us freedom to work differently. We should embrace this to best support our farmers with a localised approach.
“I want to show what North Yorkshire farming can achieve, for our farmers and for the United Kingdom, when we’re in control.”
Outlining a three-stage process for securing devolution of agricultural policy, Mr Duncan added: “I recognise this is an unprecedented request, and it can not happen overnight.
“We must demonstrate our credibility to ministers. Therefore, I would seek control of farming policy gradually, in three stages.
“Most immediately, I would establish a dedicated, North Yorkshire-based support team for our farmers. This team would initially give advice about existing funding streams.
“I would then seek direct administration of payments in line with national policy. Subsidies would no longer be paid by the Rural Payments Agency at this stage.
“Finally, we would seek local control over policy itself. Schemes, criteria and rates would eventually be determined here in North Yorkshire instead of Westminster, giving much greater flexibility.
“Most importantly, I would ensure this local policy was driven by farmers themselves, with a dedicated forum established to represent the interests and needs of North Yorkshire’s farming industry.”