NFU steps up pressure for fairer deal for farmers

Farm leaders have ramped up calls on the government to increase its budget for farming – arguing that doing so is vital to maintain UK food security.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw made the call on 13 August – the day of the year that the UK would run out of food if people could only consume food and drink produced by British growers and livestock farmers.

That call is set to be repeated this month on Back British Farming Day – when the NFU asks MPs and other parliamentarians to sign a pledge to demonstrate their support for UK food producers on 11 September

The UK is 62% self-sufficient in food. While this reflects similar levels of the past decade, some sectors have seen a recent decline. Self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables is only 53% – its lowest since records began in 1988.

Mr Bradshaw welcomed the government’s recognition that food security is critical to national security. But he believes Defra’s annual £2.4bn farm budget must be more than doubled to prevent self-sufficiency from falling.

The NFU says food producers need the right policy framework and investment to boost confidence and resilience so farmers can withstand climate and economic shocks – and to increase self-sufficiency in the face of global instability..

Recent decline

The government is expected to announce its budget for farming in next month’s Autumn Statement.

Any increased budget must include a legal commitment so self-sufficiency does not fall, said Mr Bradshaw.

“On this Self-sufficiency Day, we want to highlight the importance of boosting Britain’s ability to produce its own food.”

Healthy, balanced and affordable meals were something everyone deserved, he added.

Farmers had experienced one of the wettest seasons on record, said Mr Bradshaw. This had put untold pressure on food production and contributed to a collapse in farm business confidence, with a big decline in the cereals area.

Global challenges

With global and climatic instability putting pressure on food systems all over the world, the NFU wants the government to put domestic food production at the centre of its missions around climate resilience, economic growth and the nation’s health.

International trade was important when it came to food, but it was also important to back British farmers.

“Food from other countries will always form a proportion of our daily diets, but we must recognise the vulnerability of global food supply chains and the importance of a stable food supply,” said Mr Bradshaw.

“Farmers produce the raw ingredients that underpin our food and drink sector, the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, worth £146bn and employing more than 4m people.”