Farming in the Fens and its importance to the whole region

A major new report highlighting the importance of farming to the Fens was launched by the NFU this week.

Why Farming Matters in the Fens sets out the contribution farmers and growers make to the economy, the food and drink sector, environment, tourism and the community within this unique landscape.

It outlines how farmers within the Fens can help mitigate the impact of climate change and calls for action to ensure the Fens are protected for the future.

It focuses on the people who farm the Fens with a series of case studies, many of them involving families who have been working the same soil for generations and NFU president Peter Kendall launched the report at an event at the East of England Showground.

Key facts within the report include that the Fens contain around half of all Grade 1 farmland in England. It also highlights that 70 per cent of land within the Fens is managed under environmental stewardship schemes and that more than a third (37 per cent) of vegetables grown in the open are grown in the Fens. In addition, farms in the Fens support 27,000 full and part-time jobs, it says.