Soaring costs are forcing Britain’s farmers to make significant changes to their food production plans, with some facing the prospect of going out of business, according to a new survey of farmers’ intentions by the NFU.
NFU president Minette Batters said: “We have some of the world’s best farmers who are passionate about growing a plentiful supply of food, produced to world leading standards of animal welfare, environmental protection and sustainability.
“However, costs are rising rapidly on farms across the country and across all sectors. It’s already having an impact on the food that we are producing as a nation as well as leading to a crisis of confidence among Britain’s farmers. These survey results clearly set out what we have to lose if nothing is done.”
Mrs Batters continued: “It’s incredibly positive that the government now recognises in its Food Strategy how important British food production is for the nation and its resilience. We now need to see this embedded across government business, with a new statutory duty for Ministers to consider how any new policy will impact on food production.
“Farmers are at the heart of delivering many of the ambitions government holds – whether that is food production, environmental protection, or reaching net zero. That’s why it’s so important for all departments to have a duty to consider food production, so there is a cross-government approach that truly values British food and farming and delivers for Britain.”