Farm leaders call on councils and Senedd to back British agriculture

Farming leaders are pressing newly elected councillors and Senedd members to put food security, rural investment and farm profitability at the centre of political decision-making.

Following local elections across England and the Senedd elections in Wales, industry representatives said politicians at every level of government had a key role to play in shaping the future of farming and rural communities.

Farmers across the UK continue to face pressure from volatile commodity markets, rising fuel and fertiliser costs, changing support schemes and increasingly unpredictable weather.

The NFU said councils could have a major influence on farming businesses through decisions on planning, rural broadband, crime prevention and local food procurement.

The union wants local authorities to improve rural connectivity, tackle fly-tipping and ensure planning departments better understand modern agricultural businesses and farm diversification projects.

It is also calling for councils to source at least 50% of the food they purchase from local farmers and growers.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said farming remained central to the rural economy and national food production.

“Farming sits at the very heart of our rural economy and communities,” he said.

“Our farmers manage more than 70% of the landscape, play a vital role in protecting and enhancing the environment and they work each and every day to produce the food to feed our nation.”

Mr Bradshaw warned the sector was continuing to face significant financial pressure linked to global instability and rising production costs.

“Successive global shocks - from the war in Ukraine to the conflict in the Middle East - mean farmers are shouldering increased fuel, fertiliser and energy costs and facing growing uncertainty as they begin to plan for the year to come,” he said.

He added that reductions in support payments had left many farming businesses “more exposed than ever”.

While many challenges required action from Westminster, Mr Bradshaw said local authorities could still make a meaningful difference through “pro-farming policies” on issues such as planning and rural crime.

“We look forward to working with all newly elected representatives to help support a thriving and profitable British farming industry,” he added.

Similar calls were made in Wales following the Senedd elections, where no single party secured an outright majority.

NFU Cymru has urged the new Welsh Government and members of the Senedd to “match the industry’s ambitions” during what it described as a “defining period” for Welsh agriculture.

NFU Cymru president Abi Reader said the union was ready to work with politicians across the political spectrum to strengthen food production, rural businesses and environmental delivery.

“We need the new Senedd and the new Welsh Government to show equal ambition and to play their part in assisting the industry to fulfil its potential,” she said.

Ms Reader highlighted the importance of the Welsh food and drink sector, which generates more than £10 billion annually and is heavily reliant on domestic farm production.

“Conflict in the Middle East has once again highlighted the importance of a strong domestic food production base,” she said.

NFU Cymru is calling for a “farm to fork strategy” to strengthen Welsh food production, alongside a ring-fenced multi-year agriculture budget and continued support through the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

The union also renewed calls for changes to agricultural pollution regulations and a new approach to tackling bovine TB in Wales.

“There is an urgent need for a step change in how we tackle this disease,” Ms Reader said.

The calls come as farming organisations across the UK push for greater political backing during a period of rising costs, regulatory change and global market uncertainty.