The president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Minette Batters has urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to act on the commitments he made to farmers during the summer.
Speaking directly with Sunak at 10 Downing Street on 21 December, Batters raised the challanges that farmers are facing such as food supply chain issues and seasonal worker shortages.
The meeting also discussed the opportunities for British food and farming in the fruit and vegetable sector, if supply chain issues can be resolved and production costs stabilised.
Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning
At the NFU’s Summer Hustings event, Sunak made key pledges to farmers including the need to establish a food security target with a statutory duty to monitor domestic food production and hold an annual UK-wide food security summit.
“British farmers and growers have so much to offer to the nation, providing high quality, affordable, climate friendly food alongside increasingly important renewable energy and a thriving countryside for us all to enjoy, Batters said.
“But the past year has been a stark reminder of what we stand to lose if British food and farming is taken for granted, and why it needs to be a political priority.”
She added: “The Prime Minister made it clear today that he wants to provide an environment for British food and farming to thrive, and what farmers and growers need more than anything is certainty.”
The NFU said this involves continued support through the energy crisis, enabling fair contractual relationships in the supply chain, establishing a national food secutiry target and delivering effective policies.
Following the meeting, Sunak Tweeted: “Farming is the lifeblood of our nation. As Prime Minister I will always back our farmers and make sure they have what they need to produce more high-quality, affordable British food.”
