Making a profit, efficiency in how farmers produce and the ability to compete internationally are critical factors in ensuring a long-term future for the British arable sector at a time of falling prices and rising costs, NFU President Meurig Raymond said today.
Speaking at Cereals 2015, Mr Raymond said farmers and growers needed the right conditions to grow and access new markets, and the NFU’s work with the new Government would play a crucial role in this.
“We’ve seen the price of wheat almost half since 2012 and costs rise around 100 per cent in the same period – there’s no doubt that profitability in the arable sector is under severe pressure,” said Mr Raymond.
“While the commodity prices are impervious, influencing government policy is more pertinent than ever – the NFU is at the forefront of this. The new government comes with a detailed and positive agenda for food and farming which notably includes many of the NFU’s lobbying asks.
“We will continue to work with the government for a better policy framework for farmers to grow more to then sell more both here and abroad and reverse the downward trend in our self-sufficiency. With the agriculture’s current economic climate, we are lobbying for these things to happen here and now.”
