Calls have intensified for the government to increase the agriculture budget to £5.6 billion, as MPs debated the state of the farming industry in the House of Commons. The debate, which took place on Tuesday, 8 October, highlighted growing concerns over food security, a matter that many MPs agree is now critical to national security.
The new Labour government is facing pressure to deliver a significant budget boost, as farmer confidence has plummeted to its lowest level since records began.
Shadow Defra Secretary, Steve Barclay, opened the debate on farming and food security, stressing that if immediate support is not provided to farmers, many businesses may not survive. “Britain’s farmers are facing real and immediate challenges, which means the government must take action now, and that is why we have called this debate today," he said.
Citing research from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Mr Barclay warned of an impending crisis. "Recent research... has suggested that England is heading for one of its worst harvests on record," he said. "If we don’t support our farmers now, many farm businesses say they are unlikely to survive.”
In response, Defra Secretary Steve Reed reiterated the importance of farming to the country’s future, stating that food and energy security form "the foundations of our economy, our communities and indeed our environment.” Reed assured the House that he was making 'the strongest case' for increasing the agriculture budget, despite the financial challenges inherited from the previous government. "Food security is national security, and of course energy security is also national security," he emphasised.
Following the debate, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) called for a renewed, multi-year agricultural budget of £5.6 billion, describing it as 'essential' for both food production and achieving environmental goals. NFU President Tom Bradshaw remarked on the cross-party consensus seen during the debate, stating, “As we saw... food is not partisan. It should not be kicked around like a rotten pumpkin.”
Bradshaw stressed the need for long-term stability to enable farming businesses to plan for the future. “The number one way to do this is to ensure we have a strategy to boost Britain’s food security, and this must be invested in and supported by an increased agriculture budget.”
The crisis facing British farming has been driven by high costs, record inflation, low farm returns, and persistent adverse weather conditions, which have all combined to undermine confidence in the sector. With the Autumn Statement scheduled for 30 October, many in the industry are looking to the government for the certainty they need.
Bradshaw added: “Farmers have experienced a period of policy paralysis as they wait – surrounded by flooded fields and failed crops – for news of promises to reset the government’s relationship with British farming and invest in its future. This must start with all departments across Whitehall creating policies that assess the impact on our nation’s ability to feed itself, as well as take advantage of growth export markets and trade.”
He concluded with a call to action ahead of the Autumn Statement, stating: "It is vital the government recognises this... and gives farmers the confidence needed to invest in the future and deliver on our joint ambitions for growth, food security and the environment."
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