NFU president reflects on challenges and breakthroughs in New Year message
3rd January 2023
As is tradition, NFU President Minette Batters has issued a New Year message to the farming community, reflecting on the unprecedented challenges faced by food producers over the past year as well as the successes that have been achieved.
In her message to the nation’s farmers, NFU President Minette Batters said: “When I wrote last year’s New Year’s Message, nobody could have predicted what we’ve witnessed in the past 12 months. From the war in Ukraine, which has created global turmoil and significantly disrupted food and energy supply chains, to our own political upheavals.
“On top of that we’ve had soaring input costs and the effects of climate change demonstrated by this year’s drought; the challenges faced by us all have been unprecedented,” she remarked.
Ms Batters continued by saying how the events of the past year have made food production throughout the year much harder and expressed her appreciation for the substantial public support farming receives in the UK.
She also took the opportunity to reflect on the successes achieved over the past 12 months that will propel the industry forward in the forthcoming years:
“We have seen an increase in the number of seasonal workers’ visas which will be a relief to farmers and growers employing the skilled workforce needed to produce fruit, vegetables and ornamentals next year.
“We have secured funding from government to level up rural communities through the Rural England Prosperity Fund, in addition to successfully recruiting eight new agri-food attachés overseas who will help drive exports of British food abroad,” she added.
Moreover, Ms Batters highlighted her meeting with prime minister Rishi Sunak at the end of the year, where she pressed once again “the importance of food security and home-grown food production.” She is confident the prime minister will continue to support British farming and will honour his promises made to the industry.
“It was clear from my meeting with the Prime Minister that he has the same ambition as us for British food and farming. If we are to continue delivering for the nation, we need to see him honour his pledge made at the NFU Hustings event in August – to support British farming by setting a target for the nation’s food security, with a statutory duty to report on domestic food levels.”
In addition, Ms Batters expressed the need for clarity on policies like the ELM schemes to ensure financial resilience for farmers producing climate-friendly food and green energy.
Looking at the year ahead, Ms Batters spoke of the various opportunities farming has to deliver more for the country and the conditions required to achieve this.
“We have the ambition and drive to produce more renewable energy, enhance our environment, care for our countryside and work towards our commitment to reach net zero by 2040, all while producing sustainable food.
“To do this we need to ensure that we build profitability and resilience into our farm businesses to allow us to safeguard the nation’s food and energy security. It is vital that the government delivers the policies and investment needed to unlock a thriving food and farming sector.”
Concluding her message, Ms Batters said: “2022 has been an extraordinary year. I am hopeful that 2023 will be the year that the government gets serious about British food and farming and that the government delivers the policies and support needed for us to thrive domestically and in markets around the world.
“The NFU will be focusing on these areas to build resilience and profitability back to British farming no matter what the next year brings.”
