NFU’s road to the Budget 2026 – timeline of our work
Photograph: Alex MacNaughton / Alamy Stock Photo/ NFU
The NFU has spent the year making a clear, evidence-based case for farming. Our timeline shows the key campaigns, research and lobbying activity that support our five Budget asks and will drive change for British agriculture.
NFU writes to the Chancellor with Budget asks
The NFU urged the Chancellor to use the upcoming Budget to reduce the cost of producing food, restore farm business confidence and strengthen Britain's food security.
In the submission, the NFU calls on the Chancellor to prioritise five measures that will build business confidence, unlock investment and help secure the future of British food and farming:
- Increase the Annual Investment Allowance to at least £5 million and extend its scope
- Provide funding for temporary interest-free Keep Britain Growing Loans
- Ensure the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism does not put domestic food producers at a disadvantage to imports.
- Remove changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
- Introduce enhanced capital allowances for incorporated and unincorporated businesses
NFU launches Ready to Grow report
The NFU's Ready to Grow report published ahead of Back British Farming Day highlighted the action needed to help farmers meet growing public demand.
The report made the economic case for restoring confidence and investment in farming, setting out both immediate and strategic asks of government.
NFU calls for urgent government support to ease fertilising purchasing pressures
The NFU renewed its call for government backed, interest-free loans to help farmers following a message from the UK Fertiliser Farming Stakeholder Group about fertiliser supplies.
The message posed the challenge of whether enough fertiliser can be imported, manufactured, stored, processed, bagged, loaded and delivered to farms in time for the spring application window.
NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said: “We are facing an immediate crisis in cashflow and confidence.
“That’s why we’re calling for a government backed, interest-free loan, linked to the losses caused by this summer’s drought, which would give farm businesses the working capital to produce next year’s food.”
NFU convenes farming roundtable to secure next year’s food production
The NFU brought together farming organisations to agree the urgent action and key investments needed to secure the future of farming businesses.
During the roundtable, farming organisations warned that, without immediate action, next year's food production and the future of the next generation of farmers are at risk.
The key investments the NFU set out were:
- Keep Britain Growing Loan – a government-backed, interest-free loan, linked to the losses caused by drought, which would give farm businesses the working capital to produce next year’s food.
- Fallen stock scheme – urgent government support is needed to help livestock farmers affected by bluetongue disease meet the rising costs of fallen stock collection and disposal.
Photograph: Adam Fradgley Exposure Photography
NFU calls for greater investment in reservoirs and on-farm infrastructure
The NFU called on the UK government to strengthen domestic food security by prioritising water for food production.
Key asks included introducing more flexible abstraction licences to reflect a changing climate, streamlining the planning system and supporting investment in on-farm reservoirs.
The NFU also urged the government, EA (Environment Agency) and water companies to create a risk register for vulnerable business water users.
NFU outlines Fertiliser Resilience Plan
The NFU published its Fertiliser Resilience Plan, setting out a series of immediate action from government and industry to help UK farm businesses manage rising production costs driven by the Middle East conflict.
Key asks included a direct support trigger, a postponement and review of the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), greater knowledge sharing on nutrient management, and additional transparency across the fertiliser market.
NFU calls for coordinated policy framework to deliver net zero
The NFU warned that hitting net zero targets will be “extremely difficult” without the necessary support and incentives from the government.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “We all know there is an urgent need for the UK to take further steps to decarbonise, and British agriculture remains committed in its drive towards sustainable, climate friendly farming. But we can’t get there on our own.
“Without a clear, coordinated strategy, and well thought out policies and incentives from government and the rest of the supply chain, hitting net zero in farming will remain extremely difficult to deliver.”
NFU calls for carbon emissions tax to be postponed amid Iran war cost pressures
The NFU has previously expressed concerns that the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) will push up the cost of fertiliser for farmers, particularly for the arable sector.
The war in the Middle East and the subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has seen disruption to supplies of oil and gas.
NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said that without a pause: “CBAM risks having a material impact on growers’ and farmers’ ability to produce food at a time when we must grow domestic food production.”
Government announces relaxation of planning rules for small wind turbines
After sustained campaigning by the NFU, the government announced that farmers could soon be able to install small onshore wind turbines in England without the need for planning permission.
The new proposal would allow farmers to install one turbine of up to 30 metres without needing to submit planning proposals.
Responding to the news, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “For too long, we have faced unnecessary barriers to upgrade infrastructure on farm.
“It’s why we have been working with government to revise planning policies to include enhanced permitted development rights for small-to-medium wind turbines to make it easier for farmers to invest in and benefit from on-farm renewable energy.”