Farmers in the UK now have “firmer ground to build on and grow in 2026” according to the president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Tom Bradshaw.
But he said this comes after “one of the toughest years on record” for farmers.
The NFU president said that various factors from the impacts caused by global geopolitics and trade deals, to ongoing price volatility and uncertainty around farming schemes, drove farmer confidence to “an all-time low” during 2025.
This, Bradshaw said, combined with a long spell of dry weather and drought which “wreaked havoc” with the summer’s harvest resulted in major challenges for farmers and growers against the backdrop of the proposed changes to inheritance tax, which have since been changed.
According to the NFU president throughout these difficulties he was “proud to see farmers standing together and proud of the work of the NFU to ensure farming’s voice is heard nationally and locally”.
“Our most notable, significant success was of course the changes the government made to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, raising the threshold to £2.5 million.
“The change has taken 14 months of persistent campaigning by the NFU, its members and allied industries, and thousands of farmers and their families have dug in deep, standing up for what they knew to be right.Â
“We have had hours of calls with Labour backbenchers, particularly those representing rural seats, resulting in a rebellion with nearly 40 abstentions on the vote on Budget Resolution 50. I also had two very constructive meetings with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and dozens of conversations with Defra Secretary of State Emma Reynolds. I am thankful that common sense has prevailed, the government has listened and there is a huge sense of relief for many farming families across England and Wales,” Bradshaw added.
NFU
He also highlighted that the NFU’s education programmes have reached over half a million schoolchildren and its live lessons – the ‘Farmers for Schools’ programme – where trained farmers and NFU staff visit classrooms to talk about food and farming – has more than doubled in reach in the last year alone.
According to the NFU president this has really made a difference.
“2025 was also the year when public support for British farming continued to surge.
“Our annual Farmer Favourability Survey saw the public again rank farming as the second most respected profession in the UK for the third-year running, behind nursing.
“This unwavering support from the British public is a source of great strength and ensures that when farming speaks with one voice, those in power listen,” he added.
2026
Bradshaw believes that UK farming will continue to face challenges in an uncertain world in 2026 but it now has “a stronger foundation to build on and grow”.
He said that the union stands ready to work in partnership to deliver an agriculture sector that is set up to thrive and drive economic growth.
“Effective use of tax reliefs, alongside a push for greater energy resilience and a stable policy environment to encourage investor confidence, could all help domestic production thrive.
“Reforming supply chain relationships, creating an enabling planning system and addressing high energy costs and standing charges – issues the NFU has consistently raised – will also be vital.
“Together, these measures can help create a more collaborative and equitable marketplace, enabling our farmers and growers to invest in their businesses and drive profitability and growth in the long-term,” he said.
