UK food supply 'in trouble' as farm incomes squeezed, group warns

Britain risks becoming increasingly reliant on imported food unless farm incomes improve and domestic supply chains are strengthened, Farmers For Action has warned.

The campaign group said producers across several sectors were struggling to remain profitable amid volatile markets, rising input costs, concern over inheritance tax reforms and growing fears over supply chain disruption.

Farmers For Action (FFA) said the UK had reached a point where many producers “can’t afford to feed the people anymore”, as it renewed calls for a UK-wide Farm Welfare Bill and the removal of inheritance tax measures affecting farming businesses.

The organisation pointed to recent problems facing potato and horticultural growers as examples of increasing instability within the food supply chain.

FFA representative William Taylor said some potato growers were considering diverting unsold stocks into animal feed after prices fell to around £100 per tonne — well below what he described as the cost of production.

The group also highlighted reports of a Kent grower dumping 300 tonnes of raspberries after being unable to sell them domestically or export them because of post-Brexit trade barriers.

According to Farmers For Action, the examples highlighted serious weaknesses within the food supply chain and exposed many farmers to damaging market volatility.

While some agricultural sectors remain profitable, many producers continue to face rising costs and uncertainty over future returns.

Recent volatility across agricultural markets has also increased pressure on sectors including horticulture and arable farming.

Farmers For Action said those pressures were being compounded by the long-term decline in UK farm numbers.

FFA claimed almost 50,000 farmers had left the industry across the UK over the past 30 years, with around 209,000 working farms remaining.

It also estimated that farm closures were continuing at a rate of roughly 5,000 businesses per year.

The group warned Britain could become increasingly dependent on imports if domestic production continues to decline.

FFA estimated the UK could currently feed only 48% of its population if imports were disrupted, adding that the figure could fall further over the next two decades if farm closures continue.

Separate concerns have also been raised over the impact of fuel disruption on British food production.

Farmers could face further disruption from worsening global fuel shortages, the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) recently warned.

The organisation said escalating tensions in the Gulf and disruption to global oil supplies could trigger serious problems for British farming, food processing and supermarket supply chains.

CAAV warned that without priority access to fuel supplies, some farmers could be forced to leave crops rotting in fields because machinery and transport networks would be unable to operate effectively.

The warning comes as arable farmers face a fourth consecutive difficult season, with rising input costs and continued financial losses already placing heavy pressure on domestic food production.

The fuel supply concerns add to wider fears over the future of domestic food security.

Taylor said low profitability and uncertainty were discouraging many younger people from entering agriculture.

FFA and several other farming organisations are continuing to push for a UK-wide Farm Welfare Bill.

The proposed legislation would seek to guarantee farmers at least the cost of production, linked to inflation, plus a profit margin for their produce.

The proposal also calls for stronger import protections linked to climate and production standards.

Taylor argued the measures could help stabilise farm incomes without direct government spending, while supporting wider economic growth in rural areas.

FFA said it had repeatedly requested meetings with ministers and the Chancellor since proposed inheritance tax changes affecting farms were announced in late 2024.

The organisation also said a recent request to meet Food Security and Rural Affairs minister Dame Angela Eagle had been declined because of “diary constraints”.

Taylor accused the government of failing to properly engage with concerns raised by the farming industry.

“The UK’s food supply is in trouble, big time,” he said.

The government has previously said it remains committed to supporting profitable and sustainable farming businesses while strengthening UK food security.

FFA warned that without urgent action to improve farm profitability and strengthen domestic supply chains, Britain risked becoming increasingly reliant on imported food while losing more domestic producers.