Several farming organisations have outlined their priorities for the UK's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, with calls made for greater focus on food security, farm resilience, and the future of agricultural tenancies.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has written to Burnham as he takes office this week, urging his government to recognise the role that farmers and growers play in feeding the nation and strengthening the UK's food supply chain.

The NFU president, Tom Bradshaw stated that food security must be treated as a national priority, alongside areas such as defence and energy security.

He said: "British farmers and growers are the bedrock of the nation's food security, putting food on the plates of 28 million households every day."

Bradshaw highlighted that "Burnham has an opportunity to turn to turn Labour’s commitment in its manifesto that ‘food security is national security’ into meaningful action".

The NFU also called for the new government to support its five-point food supply chain resilience plan, which includes measures aimed at strengthening domestic production, unlocking investment and supporting growth across rural areas.

The NFU president also emphasised the need for a planning system that supports investment, regulation that encourages innovation and access to the workforce needed by farm businesses.

TFA

Meanwhile, the Tenant Farmers' Association (TFA) also called on Burnham and his government to address what it described as a decline in security for tenant farmers.

The organisation's calls follow the release of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers' (CAAV) annual Land Occupation Survey, which showed that the average lengths of tenancy agreements have fallen to just over three years.

The survey also found that almost 85% of new tenancies were offered for terms of five years or less, while the proportion of re-let farms previously offered under secured agreements fell from more than 70% to just over 50%.

TFA chief executive George Dunn stated that the figures showed that farm tenancies are becoming less secure.

He said: "Short farm tenancies provide no basis for building sustainable farm businesses or addressing environmental and social needs in our rural areas."

Dunn added that the recent changes to inheritance tax had affected confidence among landowners, with concerns that some previously rented farms could be sold rather than offered to new tenants.

As a result, he suggested that landlords offering secure tenancy agreements should be allowed to claim 100% of the value that land as free from inheritance tax, with the measures to be funded through changes to Capital Gains Tax rollover relief.

The TFA added that it hopes Burnham's government will take a "more progressive" approach to agricultural tenancy policy, with the farming organisation now planning to present its proposals to the new PM and his government officials.