NFU targets political conferences

The NFU plans to showcase why British food and farming needs to be a priority for all political parties ahead of the general election.

The farmers’ union will again have a prominent presence at both the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester and the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this month.

Its interactive stand will include a gator utility vehicle, a glasshouse to demonstrate the importance of growth in the horticulture sector, and a typical British landscape featuring sheep, trees, hedges and wildflower borders to reflect the work farmers do to care for the environment.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to pledge their commitment to championing British farming.

The NFU noted that the party conferences come against the backdrop of years of uncertainty in the farming sector, as soaring production costs, global market instability caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine, extreme bouts of weather and delays to new farm payments have all put pressure on homegrown food production.

President Minette Batters said: “It’s more important than ever for political parties to back British food and farming. The nation’s food security has rarely been more prominent than in the past few years, and with the challenges we’ve faced it’s clear that we need to reassess how we value food and farming.

”Let’s not forget, this is a sector which forms the backbone of our rural communities, our much-loved countryside and our food and drink industry, which is worth more than £100 billion to the national economy and employs four million people.

“Party conferences are a chance for the NFU to showcase all that British farming delivers, but also for MPs, peers, councillors and party members to show their support for a sector which gives so much to the nation.

“What we do is important to every single person who eats food. With a general election fast approaching, all parties need to carefully consider the long-term future of farming and how they will help boost homegrown food production. Because British food cannot fail.”