Agriculture must be vital part of Government's commitment to science and technology

Science and technology is vital to agriculture and the Government must ensure it benefits from new funding and initiatives, the NFU said today.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has today (Friday) announced £250 million of funding for training new scientists. Meanwhile, the Government has published its first annual innovation report which highlights a programme to ensure UK businesses benefit from research findings to enable them to access new markets.

NFU Vice President Paul Temple said: “The Government is clearly convinced that science and innovation are vital for the health of the UK economy and its long term prosperity and are worth spending money on.

“But it is essential any initiatives and commitments like these include agricultural businesses, the rural economy, and markets for agricultural and horticultural products. As Lord Drayson, the Science and Innovation Minister, says we must continue to invest in talent, science and innovation because our future depends on it.

“The commitment of £250 million for training new scientists from the EPSRC shows money is available to ensure the UK is a leading science-based economy in the future. But, as we highlight in our Why Science Matters for Farming campaign, there is an extremely worrying lack of new blood in the scientific skills and expertise vital to agriculture, particularly people who can translate basic science into application on the ground.

“The EPSRC centres must therefore address the aspects of food production that come under their remit and we urge them to work jointly with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in order to equip the next generation of scientists to address the practical challenges of needing to increase productivity using less resources and, in the context of climate change, by improving efficiency using technology and science-based solutions.”

Notes to editors: 

1. For more details about the EPSRC funding announcement click here 
 

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