PM says farmers are "bedrock" of country as more funding announced

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer addressed the conference in person yesterday, pledging that if elected half of all public sector food will be locally and sustainably produced.

The Country Land and Business Association broadly welcomed Labour's agricultural plan, but said without long-term commitments to funding Environmental Land Management Schemes it was lacking in “concrete deliverables”.

Also speaking was NFU president Minette Batters, who warned that “the clock is ticking” for farmers and growers facing inflation, avian flu, labour shortages and climate change.

She said costs in agriculture have risen almost 50 per cent since 2019 and UK egg production has fallen to its lowest level in nine years.

She added: “This was also the year that the potential impact of climate change really hit home. The extraordinary temperatures we experienced in July topped the previous record by almost a degree and a half.

“While many parts of the country have experienced huge amounts of rainfall recently, impacting farming operations over autumn and winter, some counties still remain in official drought status.

“The clock is ticking. It’s ticking for our planet, as climate change necessitates urgent, concerted action to reduce emissions and protect our environment.

“And it’s ticking for government – to start putting meaningful, tangible and effective meat on the bones of the commitments it has made.

“Commitments to promote domestic food production, to properly incentivise sustainable and climate-friendly farming, to put farmers and growers at the heart of our trade policy, and to guarantee our food security.”

Speaking to the conference yesterday, Defra minister Mark Spencer also addressed the ongoing issue of abattoir closures, saying small abattoirs were “crucial” for the rural economy.

Mr Spencer said: “If farming is to flourish then we need to get the fundamentals right – abattoirs are key to the food supply chain and there is clearly a need to support smaller providers in this area.

“The availability of funding will help abattoirs to invest in new technology and improve productivity and animal health and welfare, allowing our agriculture sector to get its high-quality produce to market.”

Responding to Sir Keir speech, CLA President Mark Tufnell said: “Labour’s pitch for the farming vote is superficially attractive. Sir Keir’s desire to boost exports is welcome, and many farmers will be delighted to hear his pledge to uphold standards in future trade deals and tackle rural crime.

“But without making a commitment to the long-term funding of Environmental Land Management Schemes it is difficult to see any concrete deliverables as yet.

"The rural economy as a whole is 19 per cent less productive than the national average. Closing this gap would add £43bn to UK GVA.”