Exclusive: How Yorkshire farming can reduce reliance on imports

Government figures show £36.7bn was spent on importing food in 2011 – more than double the value food exports – and the bill can only increase as the UK’s population is forecast to hit 67.2m by 2020.

Investment in research and development into agriculture technologies, and fairer prices to farmers for their produce were key, according leading National Farmers’ Union figures.

Chief economist Phil Bicknell said UK farmers need greater confidence to invest in their businesses and welcomed the Government’s recently announced £160m Agri-Tech strategy to develop new collaborations between the public and private sectors.

“We are going to see farmland increasingly under pressure for other uses which makes it all the more pertinent that we get the most from the farmland that we have got,” Mr Bicknell said.

“There’s a need for investment in research and development particularly in the area of new science such as field mapping technology and precision farming. If you have a good, viable, profitable business you are going to invest in it. If not, then it will start to impact on us all.”

Confidence is beginning to return to farming however, according to Quarter 2 research by the Country Land and Business Association and Smiths Gore.

CLA regional director Dorothy Fairburn said: “Quarter 1 was extremely negative and suggested the rural economy was heavily into recession following a winter far worse than anyone could have thought. However, we’re now seeing green shoots of recovery but they’re still fragile.”