Research essential to ensure UK agriculture meets future challenges

British farmers are uniquely placed to make the most of climate change, according to a panel of animal science experts.

The scientists claim that climate change would make the UK 'the New Zealand of the north' and would provide unrivalled opportunities for livestock farmers to meet growing world food demand.

They pointed to countries such as Australia, which has already begun to suffer the effects of climate change and reduced agricultural production, claiming UK farmers should be far less worried than others around the world.

Dr Sinclair Mayne, head of Agriculture Branch at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Northern Ireland said: "The good news for the UK is that agricultural production in the northern Europe is less likely to be affected by climate change.

"So we have a unique opportunity to continue to produce livestock products here in Britain.

"We feel there are tremendous opportunities for the livestock sector and we believe the industry has the capability to respond to those challenges."

The panel did express concern that, despite the good times to come, many farmers may go out of business before then due to poor prices, rising feed costs and disease outbreaks currently threatening the industry.