The National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging government to reduce the cost of producing food and increase agricultural investment in upcoming budget.

The union argues that due to unprecedented drought, increase in disease, and geopolitical turmoil, homegrown food production has weakened.

Investment into farming will provide 29 million UK households with a secure and affordable food supply, it said.

The NFU has set out five priority measures to secure the future of British food and farming.

These include:

Increase the Annual Investment Allowance to at least £5 million and extend its scope;
Provide funding for temporary interest-free Keep Britain Growing loans;
Ensure the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism does not put domestic food producers at a disadvantage to imports;
Remove changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief;
Introduce enhanced capital allowances for incorporated and unincorporated businesses.

Tom Bradshaw, president of the NFU said: “The government has recognised that food security is national security.

"We now need the economic policies and investment to back that up.

"They produce the food we all depend on and, with the right fiscal policies, can help protect households from the effects of economic and climatic shocks."

The drought experienced this summer, paired with the rising cases of bluetongue have made farming conditions exceptionally tough this year.

Bradshaw called on the government to “provide the foundations we need to produce high-quality, affordable food, whatever lies ahead.”

Sustainable Farming Incentive

The NFU said farmers are in increasingly more need of funding, particularly after the application window for the Sustainable Farming Incentive closed yesterday (September 22) in just under six hours.

The £233 million fund, which is aimed at replacing EU subsidies post-Brexit, is meant to provide farmers with adequate incentives to improve farming conditions.

NFU vice-president Robyn Munt said: “We have warned the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for months that the available budget would not meet demand of those farmers wanting to deliver for the environment and sustainable farming.”