Farming

Food coalition demands supply chain fix

Published

4 years ago

January 3, 2022

A COALITION of leading food and farming businesses warns that the UK faces a deepening food supply chain crisis unless the government takes urgent action to fix the industry’s structural issues.

Last week, Minette Batters chaired the Food Security Summit: Serious about British food. The organisations there called on the government to set a positive food and farming policy that creates a resilient and sustainable supply chain to underpin domestic food security.

ONGOING ISSUES

The summit took place at the end of a year that saw the first-ever mass cull of healthy pigs in the UK, a shortage of seasonal workers that threatened fruit and veg being left unpicked in fields, a shortage of lorry drivers, a limited choice of products on supermarket shelves and a rise in imports due to domestic supply chain issues.

Alongside this, record inflationary pressures have affected energy, feed and fertiliser prices.

NFU President Minette Batters explained, “Britain’s farmers are world-leaders in producing climate-friendly food and, over the past 18 months, have been working hard to keep shelves and fridges full despite many being impacted by severe supply chain issues, particularly worker shortages.

“Government has tried to paper over the cracks with short-term fixes, but if we want to avoid this crisis continuing, long-term solutions are urgently needed to ensure a resilient supply chain that enables us to continue supplying everyone at home with fantastic produce, as well as leading on the global stage.”

“The UK Government has tried to paper over the cracks with short-term fixes, but if we want to avoid this crisis continuing, long-term solutions are urgently needed to ensure a resilient supply chain that enables us to continue supplying everyone at home with fantastic produce, as well as leading on the global stage.”

Minette Batters has been calling on the government to ensure that Britain maintains its self-sufficiency level.

She went on to say, “A start would be a serious commitment from government to, at the very least, maintain Britain’s food production self-sufficiency level at 60% and helping to create an environment for farm and food businesses to thrive and compete in the coming years.”

WORKING TOGETHER

Throughout the pandemic, there have been issues, including rising energy prices and worker shortages. These have combined to increase the pressures on the food industry.

Recognising the importance of the summit, Jayne Almond, Director of Policy and Corporate Affairs, Food and Drink Federation, said: “There is no better industry than food and drink – from farm to fork – to level up the United Kingdom.

“With a footprint in every constituency, food and drink provides local jobs and makes a significant contribution to the UK’s economic performance. However, supply chain issues and rising costs challenge manufacturers like never before.

“This important summit must consider how we can work together to support our producers and manufacturers, while ensuring UK shoppers continue to get the food and drink they want, at the right price.”

THE PIG SECTOR IS IN MELTDOWN

In what has been a heartbreaking year for the pig sector, Dr Zoe Davies, Chief Executive, National Pig Association, explained that we all need to pull together. She said: “The UK pig sector is still in meltdown as worker shortages continue to impact our ability to process the number of pigs we already have on farms.

“The entire food supply chain and government must pull together and resolve the backlog now, or we will have no independent pig producers left.

“Already 60% of the pork eaten in the UK comes from the EU – it would be a travesty to see this figure increase as more healthy UK pigs are culled on farms and their meat wasted.”

A CLEAR STRATEGY IS NEEDED

Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability, British Retail Consortium, acknowledged how hard food retailers and producers have been working post-Brexit; he explained, “The government needs a coherent food policy to maintain UK production, including a clear strategy for solving labour shortages throughout the supply chain.

“Food retailers and producers are working hard to adapt to a post-Brexit world, ensuring supply chains can continue to deliver quality and affordable food for everyone.”

INCREASING COSTS

Ash Amirahmadi, Managing Director, Arla Foods UK, said that pressure on the supply chain would result in price increases: “The UK food and farming sector is experiencing shortages in a range of areas caused by local and global factors that are putting real pressure on the supply chain, increasing costs and, ultimately, prices.

“The UK is one of the most environmentally competitive beef producers globally.

“We have the opportunity to further enhance this position and become a global leader through improved use of data and technology at farm level and adopting a whole farm approach to sustainable beef production.”

Bob Carnell, Chief Executive, ABP UK, added: “These strains are not going to go away as we work to become even more sustainable and compete for the best people to come into our industry.

“Collaboration between government, the industry and farmers is the only way to address this for the long-term and all of us at Arla are ready to play our part.”

Mr Carnell reiterated the need for a level playing field when comparing British meat to imported meat. He said, “The UK is one of the most environmentally competitive beef producers globally.

“We have the opportunity to enhance this position further and become a global leader through improved use of data and technology at farm level and adopting a whole farm approach to sustainable beef production.

“To help deliver and give UK consumers and other markets access to the best beef in the world, we need to attract and retain more skilled workers from home and abroad and ensure a level playing field for quality British meat when compared to imports.”

ENGAGING WITH GOVERNMENT

The food security summit comes after Minette Batters, and her team met MPs and Peers from across the political spectrum to discuss the important issues ahead for farmers in 2022. The event was sponsored by Fay Jones, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak paid tribute to British agriculture and spoke about the importance of rural communities.

In his remarks, he paid tribute to the work the NFU does in Westminster and on the ground, supporting members across England and Wales.

BUY LOCAL

Mr Sunak encouraged all those attending to buy local and sustainable British produce over the festive period and also spoke about the government’s eight new agri-food and drink attachés – something the NFU has long been lobbying for.

Minette Batters thanked the Chancellor for the government’s support for businesses during the pandemic, which provided a lifeline for many businesses across the food and drink sector.

She reiterated to the Chancellor the importance of maintaining our self-sufficiency in food, the need for the government to support innovation in the sector and the importance of ensuring that the government’s agenda reaches rural areas.Ms Batter concluded: “Whatever the rules post-Christmas, the NFU will continue to work hard to engage with MPs and Peers from all political parties to keep farming at the heart of Westminster.”

Farming

Imported meat bill hits £5bn as Co-op calls for stronger backing for UK farmers

Published

2 days ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

RISING IMPORTS RAISE FOOD SECURITY CONCERNS

THE CO-OP has called for stronger government support for British farmers after new figures showed the UK’s imported meat bill rose to more than £5bn last year.

HMRC data obtained by the retailer shows the value of meat imported into the UK increased by 15 per cent year-on-year, from £4.33bn in 2024 to £5.06bn in 2025.

The Co-op said the figures raised fresh concerns about the resilience of Britain’s food system at a time of climate change, global conflict and disruption to international supply chains.

Poultry was the most imported protein, worth almost £2bn in 2025. Poland and the Netherlands accounted for the largest share, while poultry imports from Thailand rose by almost 50 per cent compared with the previous year.

The retailer, which says it sells and uses 100 per cent British meat and poultry, said the UK’s growing reliance on overseas supply chains left shoppers and farmers more exposed to global shocks.

It is now backing proposals from the Co-operative Party calling for agricultural co-operatives to be scaled up and better supported as part of the Government’s long-term farming plans.

The policy paper argues that farmer-owned co-operatives can help producers share costs, reduce risk, invest collectively and secure stronger bargaining power in the food supply chain.

There are currently estimated to be more than 500 agricultural co-operatives in the UK, generating income of more than £9bn.

Paul Gerrard, Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns at Co-op, said: “The issue of supply chain resilience is upon us now and there is a clear and demonstrable benefit to the co-operative business model in agriculture.

“An expansion of agricultural co-operation is both an economic opportunity and a political imperative: it directly addresses the need for a more secure and sustainable food system, one less exposed to the volatility of global markets and the instability in a rapidly changing world.”

Joe Fortune, Leader of the Co-operative Party, said co-operation was “a form of strategic resilience” and called on Government to help grow the sector.

The party’s proposals include clearer government guidance for farmers, stronger representation for co-operatives in policy-making, improved access to finance, support for producer organisations, and greater use of public procurement to back British farming.

Farming

Badger Trust urges next Welsh Government to keep non-lethal TB policy

Published

7 days ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Charity says Wales should continue science-led approach as bovine TB cases fall

BADGER Trust has called on the next Welsh Government to maintain a science-led and non-lethal approach to tackling bovine tuberculosis.

The charity says Wales should continue to focus on cattle testing, farm biosecurity and support for farmers, rather than wildlife intervention.

According to Badger Trust, bovine TB cases in Wales had fallen by 13.6% by the end of 2025, without any wildlife culling. It said this compared with a 5% fall in England over the same period.

The charity said 5.3% of cattle herds in Wales were not officially TB-free at the end of 2025, down 0.4 percentage points on the previous year. It said 567 new herd incidents were recorded during the year, alongside a 27% reduction in early cattle slaughter.

Badger Trust said bovine TB remains a serious threat to cattle health, but argued that the best response is a cattle-focused policy, including more frequent and enhanced testing, improved farm hygiene, and non-slaughter options for cattle testing positive.

The charity said: “The premature culling of cattle due to a failed bovine TB test is outdated and unnecessary. Instead, strict segregation is an effective alternative.

“The main focus must be on eliminating the reservoir of bovine TB in the national herd in preparation for cattle vaccination.”

Badger Trust also argued that bovine TB can remain dormant in cattle and in the environment for long periods before being detected, which can lead to mistaken assumptions that infection has entered a closed herd from wildlife.

It said the disease can also be spread through contaminated vehicles, workwear, manure and slurry if proper biosecurity measures are not followed.

The charity added: “Focusing on badgers distracts from the real issue, as DNA testing shows that 94-95% of bovine TB infections are transmitted directly between cattle.

“The only effective way to combat bovine TB is to address it at its source: within the cattle population.”

Badger Trust is urging the next Welsh Government to “hold its nerve” and continue with a science-led, evidence-based, non-lethal policy.

Nigel Palmer, Chief Executive of Badger Trust, said the charity wanted Wales to continue “leading by example” in its approach to tackling the disease.

Badger Trust says it welcomes the end of intensive badger culling licences in England in 2026, but remains opposed to presenting badger vaccination as the main solution to bovine TB. It argues that improved cattle testing and stronger farm biosecurity offer a more effective and humane way forward.

The charity also warned that badgers face a separate threat from changes linked to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which it says could weaken protections for badger setts in development areas.

Badger Trust is the leading voice for badgers in England and Wales and works through a network of local badger groups. Its Badgers Belong Here campaign promotes badger protection and public education.

Farming

FUW warns food security must be treated as national security

Published

7 days ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Union says rising fuel and fertiliser costs are putting pressure on farmers and food supply chains

THE FARMERS’ Union of Wales has warned that food security must be treated as a UK-wide priority as global instability continues to drive up costs for farmers.

FUW President Ian Rickman and Deputy President Dai Miles met Defra Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Dame Angela Eagle MP in Westminster to discuss the impact of international events on farming, production costs and the resilience of food supplies.

They were also joined by Wales Office Minister Anna McMorrin MP.

The union said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Gulf region had added significant pressure to key agricultural inputs and energy costs.

According to the FUW, fertiliser prices, particularly urea and ammonium nitrate, have risen by between 20% and 30% since the escalation of the conflict.

The union is calling for greater transparency around fertiliser stocks and distribution across the UK.

Fuel costs have also risen sharply, with the FUW saying red diesel has effectively doubled in price in some cases. Wider agricultural fuel and energy costs are continuing to rise across the sector, placing further pressure on farm businesses already operating on tight margins.

The union warned that these cost increases are feeding through the entire food supply chain, affecting production, transport, processing and manufacturing, and are likely to contribute further to food price inflation.

The FUW repeated its call for a UK-wide legislative food security metric, which it says should be taken forward by the next Welsh Government in collaboration with the UK Government.

It said food security is a cross-UK issue, affecting all four nations because of the closely integrated nature of agri-food supply chains.

The union also pointed to recent government evidence, including Defra’s 2024 Food Security Report and its 2025 national security assessment on biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.

It said these highlighted long-term risks to food production, including climate change, nature decline, animal and plant disease, supply chain disruption and exposure to volatile global markets.

FUW President Ian Rickman said: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet Minister Eagle and Minister McMorrin, and highlight the continued impact of recent global instability on Welsh farmers.

“Food security is national security, and recent global instability has made that clearer than ever.

“Farmers are facing surging cost pressures, particularly from fertilisers and sharply rising fuel costs such as red diesel, which in some cases have doubled.

“These are forces far beyond their control, yet they directly threaten the resilience of our food system.

“We urgently need a coordinated UK-wide approach that recognises the strategic importance of domestic food production and reduces our exposure to volatile international markets.

“With that must come regular and meaningful engagement between Defra and agricultural stakeholders across the UK, including the FUW, particularly on policy areas that remain reserved to the UK Government.”