Candidates standing in next month’s local elections have a big part to play in helping shape the future of British farming, according to the NFU. Voters in England go to the polls on 7 May with more than 4,850 council seats across 134 local authorities up for grabs, and the farmers’ union believes the elections provide an ideal opportunity to shine a light on some of the challenges facing farmers, such as rising crime rates, planning bureaucracy and a lack of broadband and mobile connectivity. Among the areas the NFU has identified for local government support, it called for local…