The NFU has called on the new Labour government to boost the agriculture budget to £5.6 billion as Back British Farming Day gets underway today.
A bigger farming budget was 'essential' in giving farmers the confidence they 'desperately need' to invest in the future, the union said.
The plea has been made today (11 September) on Back British Farming Day, now in its ninth year, which focuses on putting the spotlight on the industry.
While tractors were seen rolling outside parliament yesterday, the event officially commences this morning with a House of Commons breakfast reception, where MPs will be provided a wheatsheaf pin badge to show their support for farmers.
The prime minister, leader of the opposition and senior politicians usually wear the badge, now an emblem of the day, during debates and at Prime Minister’s Questions.
It follows a tough year for the industry, with a collapse in farmer confidence driven by record inflation, falls in farm income and a changing climate with unprecedented weather patterns.
Because of these issues, the NFU said the new government must take action to value UK food security and ensure environmental delivery by increasing the current agriculture budget.
The union commissioned the independent Andersons Centre to model the public funding needed to deliver statutory environment, climate and policy ambitions in England over the next parliament.
It showed an annual agriculture budget of around £4 billion would be required in England alone, which would translate to a UK-wide budget of around £5.6 billion.
“While in opposition, we heard consistently from Labour that food security is national security," said NFU President, Tom Bradshaw.
"The prime minister, speaking at NFU Conference last year, pledged that Labour 'aspires to govern for every corner of our country, and will seek a new relationship with farming communities on this basis, a relationship based on respect and on genuine partnership'.
“We now need to see those ambitions realised. We’re calling on government to truly value UK food security by delivering a renewed and enhanced multi-annual agriculture budget of £5.6 billion on 30 October [autumn statement].
“On this Back British Farming Day, we are at a tipping point, so we call on government, all MPs, to also show their unstinted support."
It comes as the government confirmed a £358m underspend of the agriculture budget over the last three years, with the NFU calling it a 'kick in the teeth' for farmers.
