Midlands NFU leader urges government to prioritise country’s self-sufficiency

Jane Bassett, Midlands regional board chair, represents NFU members in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire as well as further afield.

And she said: “Our farmers and growers in the Midlands produce some of the finest products in the country.

"That is why investment in Britain’s farming sector is so important.

"The Midlands region, in particular, this year has faced extreme challenges from weather and labour shortages for example, in order to keep the nation fed.

"Some fresh produce sectors now have 53 per cent levels of self sufficiency – the lowest since 1988.

"This sector in the region is vitally important as it produces nutritious, healthy food for the nation.

“We need a firm commitment from the government to increase the agricultural budget and to support our British farmers to help them continue to produce home grown food.”

According to 2023 Defra figures, the UK is 62 per cent self-sufficient in food.

While this reflects similar levels of the past decade, some sectors have seen a recent decline.

For example, the UK’s self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables – key in supporting the health of our nation – is at its lowest since records began in 1988 at 53 per cent.

This year, farmers and growers have also experienced one of the wettest winters and springs on record which has put untold pressure on food production and contributed to a collapse in farm business confidence, causing a dramatic decline in the area planted of cereals for the 2024 harvest.

At the same time, record-breaking global temperatures have impacted key exporting countries across the world.

Imports make up 84 per cent of fresh tomatoes on sale in the UK, yet tomato imports from Spain and Morocco fell by 17 per cent in February 2023 compared to the five-year average. In the same time period, imports of lettuce varieties fell by more than 36 per cent, contributing to shortages on shop shelves as UK production also fell.

With global and climatic instability putting pressure on food systems all over the world, the NFU is looking to work with the new government to put domestic food production at the centre of its missions around climate resilience, economic growth and the nation’s health.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Food from other countries will always form a proportion of our daily diets, but we must recognise the vulnerability of global food supply chains and the importance of a stable food supply here at home to our nation’s health, as well as its vital contribution to our economy.

"Farmers produce the raw ingredients that underpin our food and drink sector, the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, worth £146 billion and employing more than four million people. That is why investment in Britain’s farming sector is so important, so where we can increase self-sufficiency in homegrown foods, we do."