He has warned that the confidence farmers need to invest in delivering food security is underpinned by being able to obtain a fair return from the supply chain.
The NFU has repeatedly called for government policies to deliver transparency in markets, food labelling, public procurement and food messaging, including the need to develop core production standards that apply to agri-food imports. He said the government could “send a really strong message” to the industry by taking action on this. “With the right support in place, farming can be a key partner to deliver the Government’s missions around economic growth.”
Harvest concerns, bovine TB, the agriculture budget and fairness in the supply chain were high on the agenda at his meeting with advisers across business, Defra and DESNZ (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero).
