The National Women in Agriculture Awards celebrates women across the UK food and farming industry who are going above and beyond, making things happen and inspiring others in the industry to create change.

The 2026 awards finalists include NFU member Milly Fyfe, NFU member Helen Stainer, NFU Education Manager Jennie Devine and NFU Chief Animal Health and Welfare Adviser Cat McLaughlin.

The awards will be held on Tuesday 5 May in London, with judges including incoming NFU Director General Sophie Throup.

Milly Fyfe

The mother of two opened up her working farm to bridge the gap between the general public and the food they were eating.

The Countryside Kitchen has already delivered sessions to more than 750 vulnerable adults, children with SEN (Special Educational Needs) and adults recovering from addiction.

She also founded No Fuss Meals For Busy Parents – a website providing parents with inspiration for mealtimes, guidance on seasonal produce and more.

Milly has a habit of seeing where she can inspire and educate and plugging the gap, whether through her work in education, communications or community engagement.

Helen Stanier

The farm, Grey Leys Farm in the Vale of York, supplies award-winning Jersey milk to Longley Farm, sells locally via vending machines and through a milkman and wholesale to hotels, farm shops and eating establishments in York and the surrounding area.

The farm is Red Tractor Farm Assured and committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040 – maintaining both high welfare and environment standards.

Her experience working in the supply chain and her participation in the Countryside Fund’s Fresh Start Dairy Academy for industry newcomers led to Helen’s firm belief in creating a more collaborative and supportive dairy industry.

Jennie Devine

Jennie also co-founded the AgriFuture Programme in partnership with the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society which aims to build a sector in which everyone can belong, thrive and lead.

This project’s goal is to improve the access to and inclusivity of the agricultural sector through a five-year scholarship for young people from racially marginalised communities and the AgriFuture Forum – a groundbreaking event aiming to raise awareness of the barriers to entry in the sector and encourage action to create change. 

The AgriFuture Scholarship is currently recruiting for its second cohort of students to take part in a bespoke progamme which includes residential experiences, work experience opportunities and mentoring.

The first cohort of AgriFuture scholars have already taken part in a week-long food and farming residential, gone behind the scenes at LAMMA and completed a day of workshops at Harper Adams University.

Cat McLaughlin

During her tenure, she helped guide the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic; bolstered RUMA’s communications and engagement activities, including bringing attention to growing pressures around vaccine and medicine availability; and chaired the exemplary RUMA TTF (Target Task Force), among other achievements.

Before the NFU, Cat worked as Scottish extension officer of the Milk Development Council and Market Information Manager of QMS (Quality Meat Scotland)/Meat and Livestock Commission (Scotland).

She graduated with a degree in Agriculture from the University of Aberdeen, with Honours in Animal Science, and also holds a PG Diploma in Farm Business Organisational Management from the Scottish Agricultural College in Aberdeen.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Now more than ever, we’re seeing the vital importance of building resilience into our farming and growing businesses. For a long time, we’ve been highlighting how fairness in the supply chain plays an important part in that resilience as it boosts businesses confidence levels.

“Long-term contracts like these give farmers and growers the certainty they need to invest in on-farm infrastructure for the future. That is good for growth, good for productivity and good for sustainability.”

Simon Roberts, Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s said: “Good food is something people depend on every day. In uncertain times, our focus is on keeping food great value for customers while giving farmers the reassurance and certainty they need to plan ahead.

“By expanding these long-term agreements across more of our meat, dairy, fruit and veg, we’re backing British and Irish farming for the future and bringing more homegrown food to our customers. This is how we protect quality, value and provenance in an uncertain world and how we help secure the future of good food for all of us.”

Fairness in the supply chain

Right across the NFU we are working for improved fairness in the UK’s food supply chain.

Visit our Fairness for farmers and growers pages to see our work and see how we can support you.

Find out more

Supporting fairness in the supply chain – member toolkit

15 November 202215 November 2022

Discount on Grocery Supply Code of Practice online training

Do you supply direct to a retailer? Are you aware of the Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and how it can help safeguard your business from unfair trading practices during negotiations? Take part in our online GSCOP training sessions to learn more.

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A temporary restart of the Ensus bioethanol plant on Teesside to shore up supplies of CO2 during the Middle East conflict will bring important stability for the areas of the supply chain that use the byproduct for processing and packaging.

British wheat not prioritised

Domestic production traded away

The Board Chair also levelled fresh criticism at the trade deal last year that saw US negotiators secure tariff-free access to the UK for 1.4 billion litres of ethanol and led to the mothballing of the Ensus plant. That followed an earlier decision to close the UK’s only other bioethanol plant, the Vivergo facility near Hull.

“This move calls into question as to why the UK’s domestic bioethanol production was traded away in the US trade deal,” Jamie added.

“We continue to call on government to commit to retaining a viable bioethanol industry in the UK, which also produces highly sought after animal feed in addition to CO2 production. This should open up further market opportunities to incentivise UK wheat being used by UK biofuel plants and allow more biofuels from crops to be used in road transport and aviation.”

Keep track of all of our work on behalf of the combinable crops sector by visiting our sector homepage.

If you have any concerns, get in touch with NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw warned that the price hike has coincided with one of the busiest periods for the industry. “Red diesel is hugely important, acting as the primary fuel for agricultural vehicles, which are crucial in producing the nation’s food.

“Spring is a busy period in the farming calendar when considerable volumes are being used and significant price hikes are an additional cost which will threaten the viability of farming businesses. Many farms are already operating within tight margins and simply can’t afford the increase.”

Poor transparency on pricing

Some NFU members are reporting that they are being asked to pay 84% more for red diesel in addition to reports of issues with availability at a local level, likely due to high demand as businesses secure their short-term supplies during the busy spring period.

The NFU President added: “The farming industry has had to deal with poor transparency in the pricing and supply of fuel for many years. Many of our members have told us they are only being given a price once the fuel has been delivered to the farm, making it extremely difficult to decline or challenge that price.

“The decision by the Competition and Markets Authority to monitor the sale of fuel, including red diesel, is much needed. If fully delivered, this will inject transparency into the fuel market and support farmers’ ability to plan and make decisions for the business with greater confidence.”

There is currently no recognised index for red diesel pricing and, at the moment, many farmers are often only being made aware of the price they will pay once products have been delivered on their farms. 

The ECIU report predicted cereals, general cropping and dairy will be most affected due to the level of field operations they undertake across the largest areas. When taking into account other increases to input costs, such as those for fertiliser, electricity and gas, ECIU analysts concluded that “it is likely that farmers will face a significant increase in input costs this year as a result of volatility in fossil fuel markets”.  

NFU response

ECIU analyst Mr Lancaster noted this is the second oil and gas price shock farmers have faced in a few years, following the war in Ukraine. 

“Burning oil and gas is both driving more extreme weather and price shocks, which combine to undermine the resilience of our food security,” he added. “Reducing emissions to net zero is the only scientific way to stop climate change, but it can also reduce exposure to this kind of volatility. Reducing the use of fertilisers made from gas is just one example of steps some farmers are already taking.”

NFU President Tom Bradshaw called for greater recognition of how critical red diesel is to farming businesses: “It’s clear that red diesel must be recognised as a key foundational input in the domestic food system, itself recognised as critical national infrastructure. The NFU will continue to engage with government to ensure it has a clear picture of the impact fuel prices are having on domestic food production.”

The NFU supports the vital work of the GCA in regulating and improving trading relationships between suppliers and retailers and ensuring the GSCOP (Groceries Supply Code of Practice) is not breached.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said that moving the role into Defra alongside the ASCA (Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator) “reinforces a commitment by government highlighted within the farm profitability review to continue its work on supply chain fairness which is a top priority for all farming sectors”.

He added: “It’s important that the GCA and ASCA work closely together to foster a unified strategy to proactively address unfair practices. This will help create a more collaborative and equitable marketplace, enabling our farmers to invest and create resilient farm businesses.  
 
“With the significant inflationary pressures being faced by farming and growing businesses driven by the energy crisis and war in the Middle East, this is a crucial time for supply chains to share the elevated risk.”

Joined-up approach

Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said that moving responsibility for the GCA “will support a more joined-up approach to fairness across the food supply chain”. 

GCA Mark White said: “I am looking forward to working more closely with Defra to continue to ensure fair treatment of direct suppliers to the designated retailers.”

Defra has said the GCA will remain fully independent, with no changes to its statutory role or enforcement powers. The GSCOP will continue to be owned by the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority). 

British businesses will only need a single UK organic certification to sell their organic livestock products in both countries.

Reducing duplication in certification and removing administrative barriers is something organic producers will benefit from, and this arrangement will help them compete more effectively in a growing Asian market where demand for high‑quality organic food continues to rise. 

World-leading standards

Responding to the news, NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said: “It’s encouraging to see new opportunities emerging for our organic members in the Japanese market. The sector has faced a number of pressures in recent years, so any step that helps strengthen confidence and create additional routes to market is welcome.”

Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said the arrangement “tears down barriers”, giving UK producers access to Japanese consumers “who are increasingly seeking out the very best organic products the world has to offer”.

NFU members across all sectors are committed to producing food to world‑leading standards, and we welcome the opportunity for growth within the organic market. This agreement is a step forward for organic livestock and dairy producers in reaching new markets. 

To ensure we have the strongest possible evidence base during this period of uncertainty, the NFU has launched a new reporting tool for members. This short online survey enables you to share the real prices you are seeing on the ground when purchasing key inputs, helping us build an accurate, up-to-date picture of market conditions across the country.

Your case studies will help us track market volatility in real time and strengthen NFU lobbying on behalf of all farm businesses, ensuring your experiences directly shape our conversations with government, suppliers and regulators.

We may discuss your responses as part of our lobbying work. Be assured that all responses provided will be anonymised and aggregated to ensure no individual can be identified.

You can use this form as many times as you need to.

Fill in our form

Immense pressure

The NFU has welcomed news of the ceasefire between the US and Iran, but has warned that the conflict has had a significant impact on farming businesses.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “This ceasefire will be a relief for many across the world, not least for those in the middle of the conflict.

“The disruption to global oil and gas markets has already caused significant economic damage and put food-producing businesses, and the farmers and growers who provide the raw ingredients, under immense pressure. We will be watching how the situation develops very closely in the coming weeks.”

Reversing the decline

In recent weeks, the NFU has reminded retailers of the importance of honouring their commitments to back British farming following reports of produce from New Zealand and Australia was positioned on shelves under signs of the Union Jack.

With beef cattle numbers and overall beef production gradually declining over the past 10 years, retailer commitments will instill much-needed confidence in producers who are ready and willing to work with retailers to meet consumer demand.

“This commitment by M&S will give those 3,500 suppliers the certainty they need to start investing on farm, stabilise the national herd and build confidence to see those cattle and sheep numbers grow,” Tom continued. “That is good for growth, good for productivity and good for sustainability.

Growing demand

“British beef and lamb have a fantastic reputation for high quality and high welfare standards, and they are products the public love. We look forward to working with M&S, ABP and Dunbia to ensure these new contracts help create a resilient, sustainable and thriving UK livestock sector, one that can meet growing demand.” 

Managing Director of M&S Food Alex Freudmann said: “t’s our British farmers who uphold our market-leading welfare standards, and produce food to the quality our customers expect. But farmers face a number of challenges and now more than ever need UK retailers to commit to sourcing from within the UK. Our long-term commitment to sourcing British fresh lamb and beef, through our partners at ABP and Dunbia, will support longer term investments and security for farmers for years to come.”

M&S's Plan A for Farming strategy cements its commitment to sourcing 100% British on key proteins like beef, chicken, pork and eggs. 

It is the only retailer in the UK to offer Best in Season across all fresh lamb, which is 100% British year-round and follows the natural lamb farming calendar, starting in the South of England.

More from NFUonline:

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Backing British Beef – NFU Livestock Board's vision for 2035

While eggs are often cited as a success story for mandatory labelling in Defra’s 2021 welfare Call for Evidence, the comparison is limited. Egg production systems are legally defined, easily recognisable, and already well understood by consumers. Adding new regulations risks creating unnecessary complexity in a category where clarity already exists.

Applying similar labelling to livestock products is far more challenging. Production systems for beef, dairy, and lamb vary widely, and animals often move through multiple environments during their lifetime. A dairy-bred calf, for example, may be born indoors, reared outdoors, and finished indoors. Capturing this level of variation on a single label is neither practical nor meaningful for consumers.

Scientific evidence also shows that production method alone is not a reliable indicator of animal welfare. Welfare outcomes depend far more on stockmanship, attention to detail, and consistent, professional care. Reducing these complex factors to a simple system label risks misleading consumers and obscuring the real drivers of welfare.

Little evidence

A tiered labelling system could further entrench the misconception that one production method is inherently superior. Given the diversity of UK farming systems, there is no single “typical” model, and any attempt to categorise them risks oversimplification. For these reasons, the NFU does not believe method of production labelling will improve transparency or support better welfare outcomes.

We support clear, accurate labelling that helps consumers identify food produced to recognised UK standards, but MMOP (mandatory method of production) labelling would be costly, difficult to implement, and remains unsupported by strong evidence. 

Independently audited assurance schemes remain the most trusted way to demonstrate high welfare. They evolve with scientific understanding, ensure consistent standards, and provide clear signals that align with consumer expectations without misrepresenting the production process.

Introducing new mandatory labelling would add costs for producers, particularly in sectors without defined systems, with little evidence that consumers would value or act on the information.

Market-led approach

Higher-welfare products remain a niche choice, largely due to cost. A mandatory labelling scheme would increase production costs across the board without guaranteeing improved welfare or shifting buying habits.

There is also a risk that fixed system labels could discourage continuous improvement. Welfare is best advanced through flexible, outcome-focused assurance schemes that reward good practice, not through static categories that fail to reflect management quality. Instead, we advocate a market-led approach grounded in robust assurance schemes, innovation, and credible, evidence-based claims.

NFU asks

To strengthen transparency and uphold UK farming standards, we urge the government to:

• Enshrine core environmental and animal welfare standards in law for all agri-food imports, ensuring a level playing field.
• Retain a voluntary labelling approach, using mandatory rules only where specific marketing terms are used.
• Improve country-of-origin labelling.

High animal welfare is achieved through skilled management, independent scrutiny, and continuous improvement, not through simplified system labels. Consumer confidence is best supported by trusted assurance schemes, consistent marketing language, and accessible, evidence-based information.

Dartmoor focus of transformative project

Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds has asked Dr Cottam to build on the review’s work, working with first Dartmoor and then Cumbria to develop new ways forward and structural change that works in practice. Described as a ‘collective experiment’, the project will bring together upland communities and government in a ‘seven-year collaboration’, with funding secured for the first two years. 

This was first announced at the Oxford Farming Conference in January 2026, where the Defra Secretary said: “The overall vision is to develop a place-based approach for what these communities need; co-designing solutions to specific problems,” adding that, key to this, was that “communities lead change from the ground up”. 

NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt welcomed recognition within the report of “the long-standing complexities and challenges of farming in these iconic landscapes”. She said Dr Cottam had identified many of the problems farmers face, including “a lack of long-term policy approaches, top-down policy implementation and the need to have farming and environmental delivery working together”.

“But, we don’t have seven years to wait for the project to conclude,” she added. “It’s vital the government addresses the themes set out in the report now and collaborates with other departments across Whitehall to help deliver a better future for upland farmers who face serious threats to their viability.
 
“In the short-term, this means ensuring upland areas, including common land, have access to the revamped SFI scheme – tailored appropriately with actions that support much-loved landscapes, as well as ensuring upland areas can transition into the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer.
 
“We know this process will take time, but it is essential that Dr Cottam’s work with farming communities in Dartmoor, followed by Cumbria, results in meaningful policy change. The NFU looks forward to fully engaging in this process and ensuring the voice of uplands farmers is clearly heard and central to shaping the way forward.”

Last year, the NFU published a new report outlining its vision for the uplands, demonstrating how government, farmers and partners can work together to achieve a confident, sustainable future for the businesses at their heart.

System-wide change needed

Relationships on the Commons are ‘strained, and a significant cause of local strife’ the report says. 

Meanwhile, the closure of local abattoirs is cited as an example of the type of core infrastructure that is missing within local food systems, alongside markets, butchers and vets.

Dr Cottam also noted ‘numerous examples of farmer-generated research, innovation and experimentation’ with farmers taking huge risks, often with ‘little to fall back on’. They are innovating ‘almost in spite of the system’, which is not an issue unique to Defra or the UK Government, writes Dr Cottam.

1. Government insists there is enough land to meet competing demands

The framework states that there is enough land to meet competing demands, including food production, housing, climate action and nature recovery, if land is used more efficiently. This relies on food production increasing in line with historic averages, which the government believes is feasible according to its projections.

2. Clear commitments on food production and multifunctional land use

The framework makes a clear, long-term commitment to maintain overall food production in England, recognising its importance for national security. It also says the ‘best and most versatile farmland’ will be protected from permanent land use change.

Additionally, sector-specific growth plans, starting with horticulture and poultry, will look at opportunities to improve productivity, profitability and resilience.

3. 2030 and 2050 marked as key milestones for progress

By 2030, farmers are expected to have clarity on the long-term opportunities for their land and availability of ELMs (Environmental Land Management schemes). Many farm businesses are also expected to be combining multiple income streams.

By 2050, agricultural land is expected to be managed in a way that prioritises sustainable food and environmental benefits.

4. Delivering nature recovery

The framework emphasises the importance of targeting habitat creation in the most suitable locations and scaling up the use of nature-based solutions, including woodland creation and peatland restoration.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies will guide development so that it supports nature restoration. Measures such as Biodiversity Net Gain and nature-based solutions will ensure that new development leaves the environment in a measurably better state, while Environmental Delivery Plans will help secure improved outcomes for important habitats and species.

Additionally, the government has committed £50 million to improving water infrastructure and supporting the sustainable management of lowland peat.

5. Tenant farmers are explicitly recognised

Tenant farmers manage roughly a third of England’s farmland, and the framework explicitly recognises the need for policies that work for them.

Government commitments include:

• A Law Commission review of agricultural legislation to ensure that tenant farmers are not locked out of opportunities to implement and benefit from land use changes.
• Reforming the Farm Tenancy Forum to give tenant farmers a greater role in policy making.
• Working with the Tenant Farming Commissioner to ensure the impacts and opportunities of land use change for tenants inform future policy and legislation.
• Working with the sector to understand what fair compensation there is for tenants who may lose land to non-agricultural development in order to inform policy and legislative developments.

6. Meeting future climate, nature, food production and development targets

By 2050, the framework estimates that 5% of the UAA (Utilised Agricultural Area) will see changes in farming practices while remaining primarily focused on food production. It also projects that around 9% of UAA will shift towards delivering climate and nature outcomes (eg, habitat creation, carbon sequestration), while a further 2% each will be needed for renewable energy infrastructure and urban expansion. 

These changes reflect the framework’s emphasis on multifunctionality, ensuring that land delivers multiple benefits simultaneously.

Wider land management change for resilience is expected to occur on all farmland, though this is not quantified. 

7. New Land Use Unit to coordinate national priorities

A new Land Use Unit will be established in Defra, tasked with producing a single national map of land use priorities. When published alongside wider government priorities, this will give a unified picture across food production, nature recovery, water, climate change, infrastructure, housing and growth.

8. Government commits to ‘making land digital’

This commitment includes getting more data into digital maps, improving mapping platforms, providing open-access soil data and increasing transparency around land ownership. Together, these measures aim to support faster and more informed decision making for planners, developers and farmers.

9. The framework guides decisions – but isn’t legally binding

The framework does not replace the planning system, and planners are not legally required to use it. Instead, it offers new data and spatial analysis that should help speed up house building, infrastructure delivery, and environmental recovery. A central element is a set of principles designed to guide decisions by government and landowners, including “multifunctionality”, “right use, right place”, “future ready decisions” and “adaptive by design”.

The framework also signals a future shift towards spatial targeting of ELM schemes/payments and regulation as early as 2027.

10. Start of a larger process

The next key step will be the 25-year Farming Roadmap, due to be published later in 2026. It will be informed by the new Farming and Food Partnership Board, which held its first meeting last month. 

The framework itself will be updated every five years based on progress and feedback.

The government’s announcement on investing in public procurement is a welcome signal of intent.

Five local authorities, Bury, Middlesbrough, Brighton and Hove, Bristol and Cambridge, will receive £155,000 each to improve their procurement, focusing on sustainable and healthier options for their local communities. These local authorities are outstanding in their procurement approaches and will use this collaborative project to trial and evaluate expansion of this work. 

The NFU has long highlighted the importance of public sector buying that genuinely supports British farmers, and the commitment to source at least 50% of public sector food from British farms represents a major opportunity.

Step in the right direction

This is a step in the right direction. These local authorities, which have already achieved Gold Food for Life or Gold Sustainable Food places accreditation, will be able to use the funding to build on their strong foundations and knowledge base. 

If successful across those select councils, this will hopefully deliver a guide to other authorities to help overcome some of the existing challenges in this area. Developing the right systems, standards and procurement culture provides the opportunity for meaningful shifts to back British sourcing. 

To support long-term change on procurement, the NFU is calling for the following measures:

Mandatory procurement standards

Public sector buying is still heavily driven by cost and the guidance provided by GBSF (Government Buying Standards for Food). These minimum mandatory standards review, evaluate and assess food production, nutrition, resource efficiency and socio-economic impact, but compliance is not independently audited or recorded. To embed the 50% commitment into everyday decision making, procurement teams need clear, binding rules they can rely on.

‘Local’ must be clearly defined

Clarity is needed so procurement teams can act with confidence. ‘Local’ should be interpreted as regional sourcing – a practical and fair definition that supports British producers without creating unrealistic constraints.

Procurement must be opened up to SMEs

British farmers and food businesses, particularly SMEs, still face significant barriers when trying to access public sector contracts, including:

• Price pressures.
• Fragmented supply routes.
• Limited direct access to buyers.

Procurement processes must be reformed so SMEs can realistically compete. Without this, the market will continue to be dominated by a small number of large suppliers, and the benefits of the commitment will not reach the wider farming sector.

Mandatory data collection and reporting

At present, the government cannot demonstrate where public sector food is sourced from. There is no mandatory reporting, no consistent data collection, and no reliable way to track progress.

To make the 50% commitment truly credible, the government needs to introduce clear and consistent reporting requirements. That means mandatory data collection across all public sector food contracts is essential, along with clear reporting of country of origin. Procurement teams and suppliers will also need the right systems and financial support to meet these requirements without adding unnecessary burden. 

A deliverable commitment, if the system is strengthened

The government’s ambition is welcome, and the NFU is committed to helping ensure it succeeds.

Mandatory standards, clear definitions, modernised procurement processes and robust data are essential. With the right framework in place, public procurement can support British farmers, strengthen domestic supply chains, and ensure the public sector serves traceable, safe, nutritious and sustainable food. 

NFU survey

We are collecting data to showcase the ongoing work taking place on dairy farms to drive environmental improvement and demonstrate accountability.

The survey will also help us to highlight areas of risk where further advice, funding or support may be needed to drive improvement.

If we are to get Defra and the Environment Agency on board with an industry-led solution, it has to be a credible alternative to regulation. 

As an industry we do have a shared responsibility to improve compliance and reduce pollution rates. But I also fully believe that the government needs to work with the industry to help deliver improvement, rather than implement a harsh permitting regime that will add significant cost, paperwork and burden on farm and not necessarily deliver the expected outcomes.  

It is vital that we hear from you, please do take 10-15 minutes to complete the survey before it closes on 8 May. 

Take the survey

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The NFU has been briefing MPs on how spiralling input costs threaten the UK’s food supply and the viability of farm businesses at this crucial time of year, and this week, following a statement from the Prime Minister about the situation in the Middle East, MPs from both sides of the house highlighted the challenges that their farming constituents are facing, from price spikes to volatile markets. 

Red diesel

Tim Farron MP (Liberal Democrat, Westmoreland and Lonsdale) raised the issue of food security and called on the Prime Minister for it to be prioritised alongside defence security and energy security. He also highlighted the impact of “the doubling of the price of red diesel for farmers who produce our food”.

Since the beginning of the conflict, NFU President Tom Bradshaw has met with Defra Secretary of State Emma Reynolds and Farming Minister Angela Eagle to underscore the threat to domestic food production posed by the conflict in Iran and the need to build long-term resilience in the farming sector to guard against global shocks such as this.

Energy costs

Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury and Yate Claire Young asked when the government would act to support “energy-intensive sectors such as […] farming”. The NFU has urged the government to reform electricity standing charges for horticulture and other energy-intensive agricultural sectors.

NFU lobbying continues

It is encouraging to see MPs standing up for their farming constituents and ensuring their concerns are heard by the Prime Minister.

With no clarity about when shipping will resume through the Strait of Hormuz, and an increasing risk of fuel and fertiliser shortages, the NFU will continue to lobby MPs and the government to ensure that domestic food production is a priority for fuel supplies and the threat to farm businesses is fully understood.

Broader perspective

NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board Chair Martin Emmett said that the NFU had already laid the groundwork for a constructive and effective process. 

“For a number of years, through the NFU’s own Horticulture Growth Strategy, we have made it clear which policies will have the most impact for growers, from energy and water infrastructure, to labour availability and sector funding and more,” Martin said.

“Some of these have already secured important wins for growers, including a longer term seasonal worker scheme, improving access to the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund and securing a supply chain fairness review.  

“Importantly, it is the interaction between policies that will make or break a growth strategy. It is no good seeking a ‘win’ in one area if it cannot be realised or taken advantage of due to the barriers created by another. That’s the benefit of a broader perspective, and we are assured by Defra that this is how the strategy will be developed.”

Looking forward

While acknowledging the process will not be plain sailing and not all policy asks are in the gift of Defra, Martin remained positive about the opportunities ahead.  

“Throughout this process we will be seeking commitments and alignment across departments, helped by the NFU’s longstanding relationships with the Home Office, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and others.”
 
As the process develops, the NFU will keep members updated, and growers can get in touch with the NFU Horticulture team at horticulture@nfu.org.uk to share their thoughts.

NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins welcomed the spur, which he said came at a time when a swifter roll-out of tools to boost resilience had “never been more important”, due to the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

The cache of projects spans robotics, AI, crop protection and forestry and will be supported by £8m of Farming Innovation Programme money, delivered through the Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships mechanism, and £40m of private investment from an Innovate UK ‘partner pool’.

The next round of the Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships competition will open on 11 May. There is £5 million of government funding available to attract at least £10 million in private investment. Applications will close on 17 June.

Responding to the news, Paul added: “British farmers have always embraced new technologies, so the NFU welcomes commitment from government on their plans to help speed up new agri-tech ideas through the pipeline into real world use on our farms.

“We will continue to work with government to help farming in Britain thrive and will be watching closely as the details of these projects develop.”

Which projects will be eligible? 

Meanwhile, the Rhizopellet, developed by Rhizocore Technologies Ltd, contains locally-sourced fungi tailored to each tree planting site. It helps young trees establish stronger roots and to thrive in the long term.
The minister also confirmed a further £5m government ‘springboard’ funding round for 2026 to 2027, aimed at driving more private investment into agri-tech.

Stay up to date with Farming Innovation Programme competitions on our essential information page.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “It is deeply frustrating that food has been forgotten again by the government despite acknowledging the crippling impact of high energy costs on other industries.

“Parts of the horticulture sector, for example, are incredibly energy-intensive growing tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in heated glasshouses, and are grappling with the same global price volatility as any factory – yet are being left to face these surging costs alone.”

Growers are being hit by a ‘double whammy’ of increased costs as the steepest increase to electricity standing charges comes into force this month. This also now sits against the backdrop of higher energy and fuel costs as a result of the ongoing conflict in Iran which is adding further pressure.

The NFU has been strongly arguing the industry’s case to government. Director General Terry Jones wrote to Minister for Industry Chris McDonald to outline UK farming’s concerns and the potential negative impact on national food production. It was followed by an NFU meeting with the Minister alongside parallel meetings with the Farming Minister. 

Review eligibility urgently

The government has said eligibility has been expanded by 40%, with support targeted at ‘energy-intensive firms’.

The NFU President warned that, by excluding farming, the government is “effectively putting a handbrake on investment, and our ability to produce a supply of sustainable, high-quality food ministers claim to support”. 

“The government must review the eligibility criteria for the BICS as a matter of urgency and look again at increases to electricity standing charges which have also come into force and are hitting horticulture businesses hard, or risk growers saying this fruit and veg is too expensive to grow,” he added.

“If we want a resilient domestic food system, we cannot continue to treat farming as an optional extra in industrial policy. Our members need the same relief on electricity policy costs as other heavy users if they are to remain competitive and continue feeding the nation.”

MPs back NFU calls

MPs have backed NFU calls for the inclusion of farming in the BICS. 

Following the announcement of the scheme’s expansion in the House of Commons, MPs called on Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, to support domestic food production and raised concerns about the high input costs that farmers and growers are facing.

Chris Vince MP (Lab/Co-op, Harlow) told the Secretary of State that “glasshouse and greenhouse growers use a lot of electricity and gas, but they are not recognised as energy-intensive”. He asked Peter Kyle to reflect on what steps the government could take to support “vital food producers” and appealed on behalf of NFU members, the Lea Valley Growers Association.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper told the House that “the food and farming sector should have been included” in BICS, as well as “agri-tech businesses”. Ms Cooper also raised concerns that the conflict in Iran would lead to food shortages and food inflation.

Liz Saville Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru, Dwyfor Meirionnydd) told the Secretary of State that “energy markets have a direct impact on agriculture” and reminded him that farmers are also facing “fertiliser price increases of up to 80%”. 

Conservative and Reform MPs also raised the exclusion of farming from the BICS.

“British farmers largely rely on fertiliser to grow and produce our food, yet we no longer make it here. Adding a CBAM to this essential input as it arrives at our ports would pile even more costs onto farms already under intense pressure,” said NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins.

“I worry that if government fails to apply the same charges to imported food, we’ll simply be penalising British farmers while giving overseas producers a free pass.”

Lower fertiliser costs in non-CBAM countries give overseas producers a built in price advantage, making it easier for imports to undercut UK farmers. That imbalance risks shifting production abroad and driving carbon leakage, ultimately weakening the competitiveness of UK agriculture.

Postpone the CBAM

The war in the Middle East and subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has seen disruption to supplies of oil and gas. One fifth of global ammonia and urea supplies and 20% of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass through this channel.

Natural gas is used in the production of nitrogen fertilisers, accounting for between 60-80% of the input costs associated with its production.

“Every extra cost on fertiliser runs the risk of feeding through the food chain, increasing the cost of producing food and adding to inflation for consumers,” Paul continued. 

“Natural gas remains the dominant input cost in nitrogen fertiliser production and disruption linked to the Iran conflict is already driving up costs for UK farmers. Many are facing rising fuel and fertiliser bills with little certainty.

“We believe the best option would be to postpone CBAM and conduct a market review in 12 months. Without that 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.”

Sheep sector – potential for growth

There are, however, reasons for optimism, particularly in the sheep sector. Insights from the recent AHDB export conference highlighted strong potential for growth.

With production declining across Europe, the UK is well positioned to meet demand with high-quality, consistent supply.

Further progress on SPS alignment with the EU could reduce border friction and significantly boost export opportunities, especially given that over 90% of sheep exports currently go to European markets.

Win for small abattoirs

Alongside market developments, a significant legal victory has emerged for the red meat sector.

A High Court ruling against the FSA (Food Standards Agency) found its charging rates to be unlawful due to a lack of transparency.

This decision is particularly important for small- and medium-sized abattoirs, which play a vital role in supporting local livestock farmers.

It also strengthens the case for a full independent review of FSA cost structures to ensure that charges are fair, lawful, and proportionate.

Reshaping perceptions

Environmental data is also beginning to reshape perceptions of livestock farming.

Early findings from the AHDB baselining project suggest lower-than-expected carbon emissions from beef and sheep systems, alongside clear environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration, improved soil health, and enhanced water retention.

This evidence provides an opportunity to reposition the sector more positively in the sustainability debate.

Disease management

Finally, disease management remains a critical issue.

Lessons from Ireland’s experience with bovine TB highlight the importance of following scientific evidence, particularly around wildlife control measures.

Failure to do so risks reversing progress and increasing disease incidence, with serious consequences for farmers and the wider industry.

In summary, the British beef sector stands at a pivotal moment. With better coordination across the supply chain, fairer systems, and a clearer long-term vision, there remains a strong foundation for a resilient and sustainable future.

Crop a mixed picture

With seemingly no such thing as a ‘normal’ season anymore, there is much similarity this year to the situation we found ourselves in in 2025 with beet drilled in reasonable time, but then held back by dry, hot weather during the spring.

This has left establishment variable, though germination in some fields following rain has improved. Plants are at various stages of maturity both within and between fields. Some fields are gappy and at this stage will remain so, meaning a big hit to yield potential.

We believe about 82,000ha has actually been drilled; significantly down on the 95,000ha planted last year. This would be the lowest area since the contract holidays of 2016.

Challenging market conditions persist

And finally, it’s that time of year when NFU Sugar enters into negotiations with British Sugar plc to agree the price and terms of the 2027/28 sugar beet contract.

It’s been a slow start this year for various reasons and market conditions are not conducive to an easy agreement: growers are facing continued inflation in many inputs, and huge uncertainty about what they can grow which won’t lose money; and the processor has silos full of sugar it doesn’t want to sell into a very weak sugar market.

The IPA is clear that if we do not reach an agreement by 1 August, a process of formal arbitration will start and we are already preparing for this, should it come to pass.

Foundations of growth

Competitiveness enables growth

Critically, this principle applies equally in the UK and the EU context. The EU’s long-standing approach, particularly through the Common Agricultural Policy and Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme, has not been to prescribe what should be grown, but to support the conditions under which producers can organise, invest, and compete. That model reflects an understanding that competitiveness is the enabler of growth, not a by-product of it.

For the UK, this insight is particularly important post-EU exit. UK growers now operate outside many of the structural supports that helped underpin competitiveness in European markets, while still competing directly with EU producers. This creates a risk of policy asymmetry: higher domestic costs paired with exposure to lower-cost imports.

A growth plan that ignores this reality risks accelerating contraction rather than expansion. Businesses cannot invest in growth if their margins are being eroded by structural disadvantages. Nor can they absorb increasing costs indefinitely without consequences for output, employment, or prices.

Growth driven by businesses

In the end, horticulture growth will not be driven by targets or strategies alone. It will be driven by individual business decisions, whether to plant, invest or expand. Those decisions depend on confidence in the underlying conditions.

Get competitiveness right, and growth will follow. Get it wrong, and even the most promising opportunities will remain unrealised.

NFU helps shape pathway for poultry

Council then received an update on the launch of biosecurity reviews under the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, which opened on 2 June.

NFU representatives have been involved in this work for well over a year, including during periods when government funding was uncertain and the sector was left to consider options for self-delivery. The Secretary of State confirmed funding at NFU Conference, and the new offer is now live.

I was pleased to highlight two significant NFU wins: the inclusion of turkeys, ducks and geese – strongly supported by the NFU Seasonal Poultry Group – and a simple, user-friendly application process.

Early member feedback has been positive, and uptake will be closely monitored, particularly in relation to the new thresholds of 1,000 birds for layers and broilers and 500 birds for turkeys, ducks or geese. Members were encouraged to share feedback via the NFU’s online page.

Poultry Sector Growth Plan

Finally, Council received an early update on the Poultry Sector Growth Plan, commissioned by the Farming and Food Partnership Board to drive long-term improvements in productivity, profitability and food security.

A group comprising of the NFU, BPC (British Poultry Council), BEIC (British Egg Industry Council), BFREPA (British Fee Range Egg Producers Association), AIMS (Association of Independent Meat Suppliers) and Defra has begun work, with the first workshop held earlier this month. 

The plan will focus on broilers, ducks, turkeys and eggs, taking a whole-system view across the supply chain.

The ambition is to draft the plan within six months, identifying market opportunities and addressing barriers such as planning and trade.

A member survey will be launched in the coming weeks and Council members were asked to encourage poultry producers, particularly those on regional poultry boards, to contribute.

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Tackling pollution

The board has been continuing its work and programme of industry engagement on our proposal for an alternative approach to tackling water and air pollution which avoids seeing environmental permitting extended to the cattle sector.

We were extremely pleased with the level of engagement in our member survey on this issue which saw nearly 700 responses, equivalent to around 15% of English dairy farmers. The survey demonstrated that the vast majority of dairy farmers already implement many best practice techniques, with:

• 80% in SFI
• 99% scraping slurry daily
• 65% soil testing
• 98% nutrient management planning
• Nearly 90% separating clean and dirty water with another 5% planning to do this, and
• the majority low emission spreading.

Dairy standards review

We have also been actively involved in the Red Tractor dairy standards review which has aligned with much of the work of the NFU Livestock Board to reduce, amalgamate and improve standards.

There will also be much more recognition of devolved legislation. Whilst there has not been – and we never expected there to be – a bonfire of standards as some might have hoped for (unlikely given the mandatory nature of dairy assurance) we are also looking at ways to reduce burden and stress on farm during the audits themselves, but more on that at a later date.

Acknowledging the Board

Finally, I would just like to recognise the vast amount of work the whole dairy board continues to do on behalf of the sector.

Not only responding to daily WhatsApp messages but engaging in the SFI relaunch, TB policy refresh, hosting farm visits, organising and chairing organic meetings, speaking at the Australian Embassy and taking part in charity motorbike rides to name a few.

I have an excellent board, and their work should be recognised.

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Glyphosate

With the glyphosate renewal date of 15 December 2026 fast approaching, members are understandably concerned about the reauthorisation of the active ingredient later this year.

Glyphosate plays a vital role throughout a crop’s growing season, managing weeds and ensuring a crop is evenly ripe across the field ahead of harvest. Use as a pre-harvest desiccant is necessary across the UK, and more importantly so in certain geographies or for certain crops.

The government has announced that HSE expects to launch the statutory public consultation on the assessment of the renewal of the approval of glyphosate in summer 2026.

Fertiliser resilience

The disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the Middle East conflict has pushed fertiliser prices up by 30% to 45%.

We are highly vulnerable to any volatility in the global fertiliser market because we rely entirely on imported fertiliser or ammonia.

Our concern is that these cost increases mean there is a significant risk growers will reduce plantings for 2027, or hold back from applying key nutrients which would have further impacts on crop yields.

The NFU action plan would help deliver short-term resilience, shoring up availability and the affordability of growing crops in 2027:

1. Introduce a direct support trigger.
2. Postpone and review CBAM.
3. Knowledge exchange on nutrient management.
4. Additional fertiliser market transparency.

On the second two points, which are industry-focused, we have already met with both the AHDB and AIC to discuss how we can collaborate.

The AHDB have agreed to create a fertiliser hub which draws together the existing information they already have available, and identify where any additional work is required to complete the picture.

Our ask to postpone CBAM reiterates a long-standing call, that a CBAM simply adds a tax to UK farming, with alternative options not currently widely available.

On direct support, our nearest neighbours have access to very similar support, and are producing the same crops we are in the UK but with reduced production cost pressure.

Our asks are in priority order as follows:

1. Standing charges

Postpone and rethink the introduction of crippling energy standing charges in farming sectors.

2. Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for fertiliser

Postpone and review the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) implementation to prevent it becoming a barrier to fertiliser reaching the UK market. Introduce long-term measures to offset CBAM-related costs on farmers and ensure that the funds raises are used to support productivity in the sector.

3. SFI support for protein crops

The NFU is calling on the government to fund the increase in uptake of leguminous protein crops to realise the value of these crops as nitrogen-fixing tools within the arable rotation. Thus allowing growers to optimise the efficient use of artificial fertiliser alongside strategically and environmentally beneficial crop production methods that support domestic food production and environmental improvement.

Read our sustainable protein action plan.

4. Fuel duty increases in Autumn 2026

Postpone the phasing out of the 5p per litre fuel duty cut that has been in place since March 2022. For red diesel, this is only 1p per litre, but the 5p for road diesel would make a difference for getting raw materials onto farm and produce into supply chains.

Outcome: On 20 May, the government announced that red diesel duty would be cut by a third from 15 June through to the end of the year. 

5. Official control charges

Postpone and take a different approach to the introduction of inefficient FSA (Food Standards Agency) official control charges which will impact medium-sized abattoirs.

6. Fairness in the supply chain

Progress fairness in the supply chain efforts across all sectors (clarity of contracts, sharing risk and reward).

7. Market transparency for fuel and fertiliser

There is a role for Defra and the fertiliser and fuel supply chains to support greater transparency, whether through regular reporting or a requirement for suppliers to publish indicative prices, stocks, trade and consumption data while respecting competition law.

This should improve farmer confidence and decision‑making, particularly during periods of volatility.

The NFU welcomes the increase in weekly fertiliser price reporting from AHDB during the Middle East conflict.

For red diesel, there is no recognised index, no regular reporting, and very limited pricing data. Members are increasingly telling us they are only being given the price at the point of delivery. This erodes trust and leaves farmers with no ability to challenge or benchmark what they are being charged.

In a functioning marketplace, prices for immediate and deferred delivery would be visible, smoothing demand and reducing the incentive for opportunistic pricing.

The powers of the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator could be extended to investigate practices in the agricultural input markets.

If transparency continues to struggle, there could be a role for mandatory price reporting to support the balance of power in key input markets.

8. Import duties on key inputs

Suspend import duties on critical inputs such as fertiliser including urea (6%) and ammonium nitrate (6%) (main supply countries are already 0%).

Outcome: On 27 May, government announced a four-week consultation on the suspension of several tariffs, including a number of fertiliser products.

In August 2025, the NFU was contacted by the APHA to ask for our input to review and provide feedback on the draft revision of its Egg Quality Standards guidance.

The APHA states that the guide aims to help egg packing centres, inspectors and quality assurance teams to:

• understand the criteria for assessing and grading eggs as Class A or Class B, including which eggs to remove to meet regulatory requirement
• set up and audit grading processes (pre-candling and candling)
• train staff
• meet hygiene and handling rules.

The APHA sought constructive feedback on the draft guidance document, specifically regarding:

• Clarity of the guidance provided.
• Effectiveness in eliminating subjectivity in assessing egg quality faults.
• Usefulness in defining the clear and concise standards for Class A eggs as specified in the relevant regulation.

The APHA was keen to gather feedback from the egg sector to help ensure that the guidance remained both practical and regulatable across the industry.

Trade and membership organisations were asked to gather views from their egg packing members and feed into the review.

Member feedback

The NFU welcomed the opportunity to review the proposed guidance so that the APHA could produce a document that meets its purpose without damaging sector resilience.

Egg packing members provided useful feedback which the NFU included in its response and we noted that, while the guidance is aimed at packing centres, the repercussions of any changes could also be felt by producers and any such impacts should be minimised as much as possible.

A lot of the feedback we provided was based on the purpose and functionality of the document.

Suggestions were made to improve the ease of reading which we thought would promote uptake and understanding of those who need to be familiar with the guidance including egg packing centre staff and EMIs (Egg Marketing Inspectors).

Our suggestions included reducing the length of the overall document, adapting the section containing glossary terms and improving the uniformity of the images.

Concerns were also raised about risk management for implementation and the knock-on impacts across the supply chain, mechanisation and the need to appreciate advances in technology, EMI training and understanding of the appeals process in terms of enforcement.

What happened next

The APHA thanked the NFU for the constructive contributions made during the review of the guidance, saying that it had incorporated our suggestions where appropriate and carefully considered the remainder.

Towards the end of December last year, the NFU was provided with a second draft of the guidance for comment. We again worked with members of the national Poultry Board to provide feedback and submitted our response to the APHA.

At the beginning of March 2026, we were contacted by the APHA to say that the Egg Quality Standards guide was now live and would come into effect from the 6 April 2026. The guidance can be accessed via: GOV.UK |  Assessing and grading eggs

The APHA asked the NFU to notify its egg packing members of the revised guidance.

Revised guidance in practice

Egg packers should have received a direct communication from the APHA at the beginning of March 2026 to inform them that the revised guidance had been published.

The APHA has said that EMIs continue to assess faults in line with established practice and inspections remain unchanged. The NFU will be monitoring member feedback on this and if you have any concerns, please do let us know.

What to do if you have further questions

The APHA states that the guidance supports the law rather than replaces it and recommends anyone with questions about the guidance revision to request a session with your local Egg Marketing Inspector.

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MPs heard evidence from food and drink manufacturing experts on the urgent need for government intervention on energy support for farmers and questioned the panel about the threat posed by the conflict to farm business viability.

The committee, made up of MPs across the political spectrum, heard evidence from Rohit Kaushish, Chief Economist at AHDB; Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium; and Jo Gilbertson, Head of Fertiliser at the Agricultural Industries Confederation.

The NFU briefed MPs ahead of the session and continues to feed in evidence from members about their experience with the price and availability of red diesel and fertiliser.

Threat to farm business viability

Sarah Bool MP (Conservative, South Northamptonshire) highlighted the numerous input price shocks that British farming has faced in recent years and the current increase in red diesel prices. She asked the panel if this was “a tipping point for farm business viability” and stressed the importance of long-term support for the farming sector.

Committee Chair and Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael pointed out that the current crisis comes at a time when low farmer confidence is already limiting investment, and on the back of two bad harvests for arable farmers.

Rohit Kaushish of AHDB outlined the importance of market transparency for improving farmer confidence during price shocks, and the particular challenge around transparency on red diesel market prices.

He noted that red diesel prices for farmers on the ground are variable, and problems with availability have also been reported. You can share your experience of key input prices using our online tool to help us build a picture of cost pressures and market volatility.

The NFU has called for regular, independent price information to allow farmers to risk manage and avoid being exposed to sudden, opaque price movements.

Energy-intensive sectors

Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium said that Mr Newbury’s concern about energy prices was “spot-on” and called on the government to support energy-intensive farming sectors with energy costs.

The NFU has called on government to postpone and rethink the introduction of crippling standing charges for electricity in farming sectors. Find out more about the NFU’s five point plan, outlining our asks to government.

The current IT system will not allow common land agreements to apply for SFI and CSHT (Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier) in 2026, nor has there been a guarantee from Defra that they will be able to apply in 2027.

Signatories to the letter have called on the Minister ensure the RPA introduces a manual system for issuing and managing common land agreements. The RPA has previously done this for SFI23 agreements.

The Foundation for Common Land, who penned the letter, has said that only around 250 common land applications would need to be processed manually over the next three years. 

Upon signing the letter, NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt said: “The NFU, working with other farming partners, has ensured that Defra ministers are well aware of importance of retaining and recruiting common land into ELMs agreements.”

Computer says no

The letter states that it is ‘inequitable that the marginal farm businesses that manage this iconic land, that comprises 21% of England’s SSSIs (Site of Special Scientific Interest) are being excluded from the new schemes. There is huge energy and interest by these businesses to do more for nature recovery and climate resilience yet they are being prevented by the “computer saying no”.’

Defra has reformed the SFI offer for 2026, with the first application window for ‘small farms’ and those without an ELMs agreement due to open in June. The Higher Tier Capital Grants offer opened on 5 January 2026 and remains open for applications all year, while CSHT is being managed with a controlled rollout, so only those who have received a pre-invitation can apply.

Read the letter in full.

Written statement

From 1 May 2026, you must give all new tenants, and some existing tenants, written information about the key terms of the tenancy. This will ensure that you and your tenants have a written record of the tenancy’s terms. 

This information can be provided in the form of a written statement.  Guidance and the information required to be in the statement can be found via: GOV.UK | Written information that must be given to tenants: guidance for landlords and agents 

This list is the minimum information that you must give to your tenant. You can use a basic Written Statement or you may want to include this information along with other things in a more detailed tenancy agreement that are relevant to you, your tenant or the property, as long as those terms comply with the law.

Written Information Sheet

The Information sheet is a document produced by the government for landlords to give to tenants. It explains how their tenancy may be affected by the changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

The Information Sheet is only valid when downloaded from GOV.UK | The Renters’ Rights Act 
Information Sheet 2026. Landlords must give this exact PDF.

Landlords must provide this to the tenants by either:

• printing a hard copy, which is posted or given to the tenants by hand.
• sending the PDF electronically as an attachment, for example, to an email or text message.

‘Prior Written Notice’

To rely on certain Grounds for possession, the landlord must give the tenant notice before the tenancy starts that they may want to use these Ground in future.

This is referred to as “Prior Written Notice”.

Grounds that require Prior Written Notice that are particularly relevant to agriculture include: 

• Ground 2ZA – The landlord who is seeking possession holds the interest in the dwelling under a superior tenancy where the superior landlord has given the superior tenant notice that the tenancy will end within 12 months and the landlord seeking possession is an AHA or FBT tenant.
• Ground 2ZC – After a superior AHA / FBT tenancy ends, the superior landlord becomes the tenant’s direct landlord and seeks to take possession.
• Ground 5A – The landlord requires possession for occupation by an agricultural worker under a contract of employment.
• Ground 5C – The property was provided as part of their employment and the employment has ended. 

Please note that this is a highly simplified list and there are many conditions that must be met to be able to rely on these Grounds which are discussed in more details in our business guide – Housing law: Terminating an assured periodic tenancy in England

NFU business guides

The NFU has produced a new set of business guides which discuss these changes in more detail:

• Housing law: Housing agricultural workers in England – the law from 1 May 2026
• Housing law: Setting up an Assured Periodic Tenancy in England
• Housing law: Terminating an Assured Periodic Tenancy in England

NFU model clauses

A model clause Assured Periodic Tenancy agreement – MCC01 and a model clause Written Statement – MCC02 are now available for members. 

To request the model clauses or to discuss specific questions relating to rental properties can contact NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458. Otherwise, please see our Business Guides which give more detailed information.

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Members of the Board and team will be on the NFU stand throughout day one of the Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Yorkshire Shows to meet with growers and discuss all things sugar.

For those growers who have joined us previously for Sugar Hour at Cereals, things will look a little different. Our regional ‘Sugar Hours’ are your chance to join NFU Sugar Board Chair, Kit Papworth, local board representatives, and fellow growers for a tea or coffee on-stand and conversations about the crop and the work of NFU Sugar.

Find us at a show near you

Why should I attend Sugar Hour this summer?

Sugar Hour is your opportunity to:

• Connect with other local beet growers, board representatives and the NFU Sugar team.
• Raise issues, concerns or feedback in relation to the sugar beet crop or the work of NFU Sugar.
• Receive the latest guidance and insights from the board and team.
• Share knowledge with like-minded growers.

Put your questions to the experts

This is your chance to ask anything relating to the work of NFU Sugar, including topics such as:

• Beet intake, including sampling and testing procedures.
• Sugar beet contracting and the IPA.
• Plant protection.
• Wider policy matters eg, trade, EU reset, agricultural support.

As well as questions relating to NFU Sugar’s representation within the wider NFU through its elected Chair, Kit Papworth.

Meet the NFU Sugar Board:

Kit Papworth

Norfolk | NFU Sugar Board chair | BBRO Executive Board | Sustainability

Kit is chair of the NFU Sugar Board.

He is a director of LF Papworth Ltd and Tuttington Farms Ltd. LF Papworth Ltd is a contract farming business based near Aylsham in Norfolk farming 1250 hectares on behalf of over 20 different landowners.

♦ Request Kit's contact details

Kit has specialised in combinable crops and sugar beet. He is on the BASIS professional register and is responsible for the farm’s agronomy and crop recording, health and safety and HR. LF Papworth Ltd won the Norfolk Champion Farms competition for 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2014.

Kit was a board member of Anglia Farmers for 12 years and was chair from 2011 to 2014, retiring from the board to chair the subsidiary AF Logic until its sale in 2017. He joined the NFU Sugar Board in 2020 with specific responsibilities for Red Tractor. Kit stepped down from his sugar board Red Tractor representation when he took up the role of Red Tractor Crops and Sugar Chair in September 2022.

Kit has been on the council of the Aylsham Show for many years, managing the food theatre. He is chair of Pensthorpe Conservation Trust. He has three children and lives with his partner Caroline.

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Simon Smith

Cambridgeshire | NFU Sugar Board vice chair | Beet Delivery Service

Simon supports Kit in his duties as NFU Sugar Board chair. A key part of the negotiation team, Simon is heavily involved in the annual contract negotiations with British Sugar.

He also sits on the Mileage Working Group on behalf of NFU Sugar and takes the lead on engagement with British Sugar to ensure the Beet Delivery Service delivers value for the industry.

♦Request Simon's contact details

Farming close to the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border, Simon currently grows and delivers 40,000 tonnes of sugar beet into the Bury St Edmunds factory.

He also grows wheat, oil seed rape and beans, and runs a farm contracting business and agri-haulage company.

Since graduating from Shuttleworth Agricultural College in 1996, Simon has developed the farm business with a commitment to utilising sustainable and innovative growing techniques. He is committed to the continual development of the sugar beet crop amid challenging agronomic pressures and the removal of quotas in 2017.

Having had the privilege of participating in the 2014/15 Sugar Industry Programme, Simon was delighted to become an appointed member of the board. He lives with his wife and two sons, and when work permits, Simon can be found racing his Caterham or supporting Norwich City Football Club.

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Alison Lawson

Norfolk | NFU Sugar Board | Chair of Beet Reception

Alison is chair of Beet Reception, representing growers’ interests. 

She has worked on her family farm in South Norfolk for much of her life. Working closely with her family, she farms and runs a busy agricultural contractor business, covering an area from North Norfolk down to Essex and across to Cambridgeshire. 

♦ Request Alison's contact details

Alison's father was a pioneer of the first six-row self-propelled sugar beet tanker harvester. Today the team harvests around 1500 acres of sugar beet and has a 4000 tonne contract of their own. They grow W wheat, OSR, and W barley. As a business, they have always appreciated the loyalty of customers, and the importance of building long-term business relationships, some now spanning three generations.

Alison's college years were spent at Hampden Hall in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, and the Norfolk College of Agriculture. She participated in the 2014/2015 Sugar Industry Programme.

She lives with her partner Simon, who works as an agronomist, and her son, Joe.

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George Daniel

Yorkshire | NFU Sugar Board | Vice-chair of Beet Reception

Based in Stillingfleet, in the Vale of York, George farms 1300 acres in partnership with his family growing wheat, barley, oilseed rape, beans, oats and sugar beet. Land is largely owned with some contracting work.

♦ Request George's contact details

After graduating from Haper Adams in 2010 with a degree in agriculture and crop management, George went into farm management with Velcourt, working in Norfolk and Kent before spending seven years managing a large arable farm in Alnwick, Northumberland.

He returned to the family farm in 2020. He has been BASIS and FACTs qualified since 2012 and on the professional register ever since.

He grows just over 3600t of beet, now supplying Newark since the closure of the York factory.

Beet is grown on the lighter soils which occupy about a third of the farm, with winter combinable crops occupying the heavier soils.

After taking part in the Sugar Industry Programme in 2022, he took up the role of North East Sugar Forum chair.

Originally co-opted onto the board in 2024, he is passionate about representing the interests of Northern beet growers.

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Andrew Fletcher

Cambridgeshire | NFU Sugar Board | Seed Working Group chair

Andrew works together with Tim to represent NFU Sugar on the joint Seed Working Group.

Andrew participated in the Sugar Industry Programme (2015/6) and enjoyed gaining a wider understanding of how the industry works. He is now enthusiastic to adopt his new role as a co-opted member of the Sugar Board.

♦ Request Andrew's contact details

Andrew manages a 1000ha Cambridgeshire farm growing cereals, oilseeds, pulses, sugar beet and potatoes.

He is leading the third generation of Sugar Beet growers for the business and with over 22 years experience has overseen many changes on the farm to keep this key crop, and others, profitable. The business grows 10000 tonnes of Sugar Beet for delivery to the Wissington Factory.

Graduating in 2001 from Newcastle University with an Agriculture degree, he returned to the family farm.

Andrew is BASIS and FACTS qualified. With the farm in the Countryside Stewardship mid-tier, Andrew is keen to trial and integrate innovative farming methods, seeking to minimise the farm’s environmental impact whilst keeping expenditure low.

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Tim Beaver

Lincolnshire | NFU Sugar Board | Seed Working Group Vice-chair

Tim works with Andrew to represent NFU Sugar on the joint Seed Working Group.

Tim is an arable tenant farmer in South Lincolnshire. Farming across a complete range of soils, he grows biscuit wheat, malting barley, oil seed rape and sugar beet.

♦ Request Tim's contact details

He currently sits on the NFU Sugar Board representing active sugar beet growers in what is proving to be a quickly changing market, ensuring growers get a fair deal from British Sugar.

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John Scott

Lincolnshire | NFU Sugar Board | Red Tractor TAC

John grows just more than 3,000 tonnes of beet on marginal land, 12 miles from the Newark Factory. He represents the interests of sugar beet growers on the Red Tractor Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet TAC (Technical Advisory Committee).

A first generation farmer, he studied Agriculture at Reading before going into the computer industry in a technical role.

♦ Request John's contact details

Ten years later, John established an award-winning recruitment business, growing it to 100 staff and servicing some of the fastest growing and most innovative companies in the world, where he saw good ideas put into practice, fast. He also learnt to deal with complex organisational structures in large corporations.

Initially starting farming as a hobby, he finally went full time as the issues that Covid-19 would bring became apparent. Fully up to speed on good agricultural practice, he is also politically aware and commercially very experienced, and looking to bring a different perspective to the board.

He is interested in several areas of Board activity; beet delivery, factory performance (and sugar extraction), crop forecasting and AI, and the preservation and evolution of the IPA. His motivation for joining the board is primarily to help tackle unfairness in the supply-chain and support the industry to become an exemplar of best practice.

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Robbie Childerhouse

Norfolk | NFU Sugar Board | BBRO

Robbie is a partner in a fifth generation mixed family farm, which consists of 1,500 pigs and 350 acres. He grows a mixture of combinable crops alongside 1,800 tonnes of sugar beet.

♦ Request Robbie's contact details

BASIS, FACTS and soil and water qualified, he uses his skills and experience to farm as sustainably as possible.

Robbie is passionate about growing beet and bringing the views of growers within his area to the NFU Sugar Board.

His priority is to help secure a sustainable and profitable return for growers, increasing confidence in the crop and securing the future of the homegrown beet sector.

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Robert Dennis

Suffolk | NFU Sugar Board | Red Tractor | Sustainability

Robert manages a 1,300ha family farming partnership in Suffolk producing combinable crops and sugar beet for delivery into Bury St. Edmunds factory. Prior to joining the family farm in 2014, he qualified as a solicitor. He is Vice-chair of Camgrain Stores Ltd.

♦ Request Robert's contact details

Robert wants to see the UK beet industry held up as an exemplar of good practice, maintaining high levels of quality and public trust whilst ensuring fair and stable remuneration across the supply chain. He is passionate about seeing growers supported and rewarded for the vital role they are able to play in securing a sustainable sugar supply chain.

He represents the interests of sugar beet growers on the Red Tractor Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet Board.

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Paul Harper

NFU Sugar Board appointee

Paul has spent his entire career in commodities and has been in sugar since 1976. He joined C Czarnikow in 1973 working in their London, New York and Singapore offices.

♦ Request Paul's contact details

He left in 1989 to join Sucden in Paris, then left with other senior management in 1991 to start CR Sugar trading in London as joint Managing Director (CR Sugar was the London office of Czarnikow Rionda).

In 2000, Paul started Sussex Commodities and held a board position with an associate ex ED & F Man, and from 2004 he has been running his own trading company.

Paul has a huge amount of consultancy experience, having consulted for a hedge fund, major bank and a large trade house in sugar during that time.

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He also made it clear that this will be achieved by empowering farmers and their vets to do more to lower the prevalence of disease.

The Deputy President also outlined requests from farmers for targeted culling of diseased wildlife, improved access to their historic bTB data and the use of supplementary testing as a route for farmers to identify animals that might have been exposed to bTB.

These may be managed out of their herd at the opportune moment to reduce disease burden while easing any financial issues.

Retaining access to all the tools needed

NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton also attended the meeting; he emphasised how the industry wants to engage and find a way to improve the situation, ensuring everyone feels fully invested in the strategy for eradication.

Governance of bTB was another key theme of the meeting, with the hope of a new governance model that will empower farmers on the ground dealing with bTB first-hand and identify opportunities to drive improvements through policy change.
 
Following the meeting, NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said: “With the government ending wildlife control, and the estimation that cattle vaccinations and associated effective testing won’t be available until at least 2030, there are gaping holes in the current policy which may put the progress made so far at risk. 

“Farmers in England have made strides towards lowering the prevalence of disease in cattle and wildlife, so the next steps suggested by Defra in the eagerly anticipated strategy refresh must ensure we retain access to all the means necessary to fight against this disease, together with harnessing the introduction of novel approaches to reducing the prevalence of this devastating disease.”

Check in with NFU experts

Visit the NFU stand to get full access to specialists ranging from poultry advisers to industry and planning experts.

The NFU will be providing everything from refreshments to forums, helping farmers in the egg and poultry meat sectors plan ahead.

Plus, bring along a recent utility bill and NFU Energy Assistant Director and Head of Contract Sales Josh Robinson can carry out a free energy contract check to see whether your business could access better value through NFU Energy’s trusted supplier network.

NFU Energy Technical Lead Roger Stones will also be speaking in the Innovation Theatre at 10:30am on both days, joining a panel session on optimising efficiency and reducing emissions in pig and poultry sheds.

Head to the event page to find out more about the agenda and what is on offer on stand 660 in hall 6 and stay tuned for more information. 

Take home fresh ideas

Being biennial makes the fair an essential showcase of new technology and ideas, says Jonny Lester, general manager at event partner ABN.

“It’s the ideal opportunity for producers to connect with others and take home fresh ideas and cutting-edge solutions to progress their business.”

Get the latest information

Discover new products

In addition, the innovation theatre will feature a plethora of new products designed to improve animal health, productivity, efficiencies and staff working conditions.

“Technology is improving at a rapid pace,” explains Alice. “It is genuinely transforming the industry, with artificial intelligence providing real-time, usable data that can help you to make more informed decisions. Whether it’s automated climate control, bespoke lighting, real-time disease tracking or intelligent bird monitors, there is something for everyone to consider and take home.”

Stay ahead of the game

With chicken accounting for about half of the meat eaten in the UK, and eggs providing the perfect answer to healthy nutrition in the new world of weight-loss drugs, the outlook for the sector is bright, says Alice.

“Farmers are incredibly resourceful and adaptable, capable of rising to any challenge. By bringing the whole industry together, the fair is an essential event for those who want to stay ahead.”

Price rises come at busiest time

The conflict in the Middle East has significantly worsened the situation for farmers, with costs of fuel and fertiliser rising exponentially in recent weeks. It makes it increasingly hard to justify planting next year’s crop and taking on the risk of committing all of the up front costs to bring a field of wheat or barley through to harvest.

On my own farm, the impacts are already being felt. The conflict sent fuel prices rocketing up just as my time sat in a tractor reached one of its peaks of the season. Securing fuel to enable me to continue to plant spring crops, apply nitrogen to cereals and spray pesticides has proved to be a big frustration.

In an act of desperation, I have even resorted to taking the tractor to a roadside fuel station.

Strategy needed from government

To mitigate this risk as much as I can, I have been planning fuel deliveries as far ahead as possible. It seems clear that, even when the Iran conflict ends, it will be a long time afterwards until prices and availability return to more normal levels.

As such, I’m putting measures in place to anticipate a harvest where I cannot get the fuel deliveries on farm as quickly as I usually would. It’s another burden in already difficult times, but it feels necessary.

Before we get to harvest, I’m also thinking about new season fertiliser. I’m worried about how high the first release price is going to be, but also the pressure I’m going to be put under to commit to buying early to avoid price increases in the future.

Again, the risk is that prices won’t come down anytime soon, but it is likely that I will be looking at making a loss before I’ve even put the crop in the ground if I commit to prices we are seeing today.

It is clear that we need a comprehensive strategy for the combinable crops sector from the government to support UK farmers to produce domestic food in the coming years.

The map can be accessed via the LandIS (Land Information System) portal.

The move was announced as part of the government’s Land Use Framework, published earlier this year, which includes a commitment to improve access to high-quality soil data to support better land management and food production.

Defra also plans to publish an updated version of the ALC (Agricultural Land Classification) map for England.

What is LandIS?

LandIS brings together a wide range of detailed soil maps and data sets for England and Wales. It has been managed by Cranfield University for more than 20 years, but until now most of the data was only available through licences or behind paywalls.

With access restrictions removed, LandIS data can now be freely used to support research and decision-making across sectors such as agriculture. According to the University, the NATMAP (national soil map) can help non-soil specialists better understand soil resources and identify potential soil risks. 

What data is available?

NATMAP is one of the largest soil datasets in Europe, containing decades of information on more than 30,000 soil samples and 250,000 soil observations.

Alongside NATMAP, the LandIS also contains:

• NATMAP vector: Maps more than 300 soil associations.
• NATMAP soilscapes: A simplified national soil map for broad applications.
• NATMAP 1000 & 5000: Vector soil reclassification data.
• SOILSERIES: Data sets for soil series properties.
• Horizon data: Describes physical and chemical properties of soil layers.
• The National Soil Inventory: Point based data on soil chemistry, structure, land use, and erosion. 

Updated Agricultural Land Classification map

Defra has also announced an updated predictive ALC (Agricultural Land Classification) map for England to replace the provisional ALC map. The map grades agricultural land quality from one (excellent) to five (very poor) and is widely used to inform planning decisions. 

The updated map includes the subdivision of grade 3 land into 3a and 3b, allowing the extent of ‘Best and Most Versatile land’ (defined as grades 1, 2 and 3a) to be mapped more accurately. As a result of this subdivision, the new map reveals that around 20% of land has improved by one grade, while less than 20% has decreased in grade. 

Defra is also carrying out a technical review of the ALC system, due to be completed in 2028. This will allow new data and methodologies to be incorporated, helping to better classify agricultural land in the future. 

In addition, an interim soil health statistic for England is now available through the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 

Impact on farm is huge

Fertiliser is no different. We bought our first application last year and had a top in February. This will all be gone by the time the second cut comes round which will mean less grass if we go with slurry alone. The alternative is bearing the 50% hike in price.

All this comes at a time when our milk price will dip because of seasonality and of course the ravages of the drops in milk price seen since November last year.  There certainly won’t be enough coming in to cover what’s going out in April.

Looking ahead

It’s too early to look at the long-term impacts, but the impact on farm right now as a result of what is happening in the Middle East is huge.

It’s fair to say that we are being pinched at both ends at the moment; cull cow and calf values are the only outlook that looks promising, but those numbers are finite.

The NFU’s spring access campaign made a real impact during the Easter period, reaching more than half a million people across our social channels on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok with clear, practical Countryside Code messages. The campaign was purposefully timed at a busy time of the year for livestock and crops to ensure the public understands how to enjoy the countryside responsibly.

Our highest performing social posts had more than 320,000 views combined on social media and featured NFU beef and arable members explaining the consequences for cattle and crops from letting dogs off the lead and not sticking to footpaths.

Alongside social media, we sent an email newsletter to over 515,000 Back British Farming supporters, explaining the new Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Bill and how it strengthens the law around livestock worrying.

Free NFU gatepost signs for members

To help reinforce these messages on the ground, NFU members can order our free, member exclusive gatepost signs. These signs are designed to keep the public on the right track, offering clear guidance on responsible dog walking, sticking to paths and respecting livestock.

• Signs come in packs of three
• Members can order up to three packs of each sign (maximum nine of each design)
• Delivery may take up to five working days

We’re currently improving our online order form, but members can still request signs by calling NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458.

More from NFUonline:

NFU gatepost signs: order your signs here

Relief for farmers as NFU livestock worrying campaign leads to law change

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The GCA (Groceries Code Adjudicator) has published a set of ‘golden rules’ based on examples of good practice, aimed at ensuring that retailers manage these discussions fairly, transparently and in line with the GSCOP (Groceries Supply Code of Practice).

These rules are designed to support a fair, and respectful approach and to help suppliers understand what good practice looks like during CPI negotiations.

The golden rules: What retailers should be doing

The GCA’s guidance sets out seven clear expectations for retailers when dealing with CPI requests:

1. Clear communication from the outset about the process and how long it will take.
2. Awareness of the greater impact on smaller suppliers, with appropriate prioritisation.
3. Support for buyers from colleagues experienced in handling CPI discussions.
4. Only requesting the specific information needed to make a decision – no unnecessary data demands.
5. Clear communication of the outcome, avoiding any ambiguity.
6. No automatic delists or fixed delist notice periods as a result of CPI negotiations.
7. Strict compliance with competition law, including never asking suppliers about other retailers’ plans or retail prices.

These principles reinforce the standards retailers must uphold under GSCOP and provide suppliers with clarity about what they should expect from a compliant process. 

The golden rules serve as an important reminder that retailers have clear responsibilities when handling CPI requests. Suppliers should feel confident that there are established standards in place, and that they can raise concerns if those standards are not met. 

NFU asks

We are calling on the government to incorporate the GCA’s seven ‘golden rules’ into the GSCOP to address unfair trading practices around cost price negotiations.

Raising concerns

Producers should come forward if they have concerns about how their requests are being handled, particularly if they believe a retailer may be in breach of the Code. Early reporting helps the GCA identify issues, intervene where necessary and maintain a fair-trading environment. 

Find out more about the complaints procedure on GOV.UK.

Fairness and transparency

During this difficult time, when farmers and growers are facing volatile input costs and availability pressures, the NFU believes it is vital to have a supply chain that is genuinely supportive, assisting businesses to navigate the current challenges, while ensuring all parties act in a fair and transparent way.

Retired East Sussex farmer John McCutchan has won a Times Sternberg Active Life Award in recognition of the Arlington Bluebell Walks, which he is hosting for the 53rd year this year having raised more than £1.1m for dozens of charities. 

More than 3,000 people were nominated for an award, which celebrates the achievements of people aged over 70, and Mr McCutchan was one of only five winners selected by a panel of judges.

The retired sheep and turkey farmer travelled to 11 Downing Street to collect his award on Thursday 24 April with his granddaughter Louisiana Vine.

‘A wonderful legacy’

Humble origins

The first Arlington Bluebell Walk was held in 1972 and was intended to be a one-off fundraiser for Park Mead Primary School in Upper Dicker, near Hailsham, where Carolyn was a school governor. It raised £100 towards a new swimming pool.

The event has since been held annually, raising more than £1.1m for dozens of charities and attracting more than 20,000 visitors a year.

Determined to attend

Mr McCutchan suffered injuries from a fall a few days before the ceremony but said he was determined to attend.

He said: “I never expected to be standing in Downing Street getting an award like this – it was an incredible day and very memorable.  

“I’m just pleased to support so many great charities and enable people to enjoy our beautiful bluebells.”

The awards were established by philanthropist Sir Sigmund Sternberg and The Times newspaper in 2008 to honour people aged over 70 who have excelled in charitable endeavours.

John’s granddaughter Louisiana said: “Seeing Grandad receive this award at Downing Street was a really special moment.

“He has given so much to the Arlington Bluebell Walk over so many years, not just building something beautiful for visitors and wildlife, but raising more than £1m for local charities.

“We are all incredibly proud of everything he’s achieved.”

The Arlington Bluebell Walk is held daily, between 10am and 3pm, until 10 May at Bates Green Farm, Tye Hill Road, Arlington, East Sussex, BN26 6SH. Head to the website to find out more.

Ongoing conversations

NFU Livestock Vice-chair Clare Wise said: “It is great to get MPs out on farm so they can get a better understanding of the farming industry and see for themselves the essential role farmers play in feeding the nation.

“It is crucial we remain in discussion with politicians so they have the knowledge they need to support UK farmers and growers, both in times of crisis as we are now with the war in the Middle East, and to create the right policy framework to underpin productive agriculture for the longer-term.”

Phil Hambling, Director of Agriculture and Sustainable Sourcing at ABP UK, said: “We’re pleased to support the NFU Food and Farming Fellowship Programme, showcasing ABP’s leadership in the beef and lamb sector and highlighting the importance of our industry to national food resilience, the rural economy and sustainability.

“Through a full day of practical demonstrations and storytelling, we’re shining a light on the talent, expertise and passion behind producing high quality beef and lamb from farm to fork.

“We know Westminster can sometimes feel far removed from the farm gate, and this programme helps strengthen connections between those shaping policy and the day to day realities faced on farm and in our factories.”

The NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship scheme launched in 2024 in partnership with sponsoring organisations ABP UK, AIC (Agricultural Industries Confederation), Arla Foods, Barfoots, the BEIC (British Egg Industry Council) and Fareshare, showcasing the industry and enabling participating MPs to see first hand how sustainable and affordable food gets from field to fork.

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MPs, NFU staff and ABP representatives gather for a group photo

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Photographs: Adam Fradgley / Exposure Photography

The NFU lobbied MPs to back the amendment tabled by Baroness Bakewell and supported by the House of Lords. The change means that mayors will be able to appoint Rural Commissioners, giving rural communities across England a clear voice and ensuring they are represented in mayoral decisions.

NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt welcomed the news: “This change will ensure the perspectives of rural communities are considered from the very beginning and not treated as an afterthought as mayors across the country set their priorities.”

Amendment pushed through

When the Bill was first returned to the House of Commons, the government rejected the amendment and whipped Labour MPs to vote against it, stating that the existing competencies of the new strategic authorities already covered rural affairs. 

The House of Lords, however, refused to back down and insisted on its amendment, setting the stage for a showdown with the government. 

Following lobbying from the NFU and other stakeholders, the government backed down and accepted Lords Amendment 2. The government did add its own small change, arguing that the competency should be ‘rural affairs and coastal communities’. This is in addition to key responsibilities covering transport, housing and economic development.

The Lords sat late into the night and accepted the position put forward by the government. 

Rural communities empowered

The NFU has welcomed the news that the amendment has been passed, with the Bill receiving Royal Assent today.

It will help ensure rural perspectives are built into discussions on mayoral priorities and projects from the start, rather than considered as an afterthought. Rural communities will now be able to fully engage with the devolution process. 

NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt added: “We thank Baroness Bakewell for her determination in tabling and insisting on an amendment and will continue to work with government and elected mayors to ensure rural communities are properly listened to.”

NFU Mutual’s latest report on the cost of rural crime found that claims cost for agricultural vehicle thefts totalled £7 million in 2024. 

Quad bikes and ATVs remained top targets for thieves in 2024, despite falling by 16% to an estimated £2.7m. 

Crime an ‘every day reality’ for farmers

While the legislation also gives ministers greater powers to issue statutory guidance to councils in England on the enforcement of fly-tipping, the NFU has said it does not go far enough to address the undue burden waste crime places on farmers and growers.

Private landowners are currently left to bear the cost and responsibility of clearing illegally dumped waste, leaving victims to deal with the financial, emotional and logistical consequences of a crime they did not commit.

NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt added: “Farmers are nothing if not resilient. Every day we deal with pests and diseases, changing weather and volatile markets and yet every day we get up and produce food for our nation. But rural crime chips away at that resilience. It leaves farmers and growers scared to go to work, worried in their own homes and feeling powerless in the face of dangerous criminal activity.
 
“From equipment theft to hare coursing, waste crime to livestock worrying, rural crime has unfortunately become an everyday reality for farmers and just something else they need to adapt and be resilient to.
 
“The government must do more to address the unfair burden of clearing illegally dumped waste as well as ensure rural police forces and councils are properly resourced to implement new powers effectively, as enforcement without adequate funding risks limiting their impact on the ground.”

NFU Chief Land Management Adviser Sam Durham gave evidence to the Crime and Policing Bill Committee last year, covering the impact of rural crime on farmers. He said: “We feel that the ability to search without a warrant for electronic goods – that was mentioned by the previous speaker – could have benefit for agricultural theft.

“We encourage our members, wherever possible, to fit tracking devices to their vehicles and machinery. Having talked to some of the national police chief leads I have contact with, they would welcome the ability to track a stolen tractor or quad bike and then enter the premises where they believe it to be.” 

Forensic markings for farming kit

Minister for Crime and Policing Sarah Jones said: “Theft causes real harm to real people, whether that’s a phone snatched from their hand or a farmer’s livelihood driven away in the night. 

“These new powers will mean officers can act fast to recover more stolen property and reunite them with their owners.”

Last year, the Home Office committed to introducing regulations requiring all new ATVs and GPS units to have forensic markings and for the details to be registered on a property database. The NFU worked closely with Greg Smith, MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, and the National Rural Crime Unit on the Equipment Theft Act, which became law in 2023, giving the Home Secretary the power to make regulations that deter the theft and resale of quads and ATVs.

The NFU has expressed disappointment however, that this legislation will not cover fitting immobilisers to new ATVs and will not extend to other large agricultural machinery. We will continue to lobby for improved security for farm equipment. 

Creosote is well recognised as an effective and longlasting wood preservative, widely used in agriculture to treat wood for livestock fencing, and stakes and poles used in orchards, vineyards and hop yards.

But regulators have identified that Creosote doesn’t meet some assessment requirements because of associated hazards, and have restricted uses as a result.

EU restricted Creosote use

In 2003, the EU banned amateur use of Creosote because of concerns about these hazards and potential impacts on human health and the environment. Other professional and industrial uses were allowed to continue until April 2023, when all agricultural uses were restricted in the EU.

Creosote continues to be an approved biocide active substance in the EU, but as a wood preservative for railway sleepers and utility poles (for electricity and telecommunications) only.

Meanwhile in GB, professional uses of Creosote continued to be approved for both agricultural and the above uses.

NFU puts case forward for agriculture

In autumn 2024, the HSE consulted on the future of Creosote, ahead of the GB approval expiring in February 2025. HSE made clear that while Creosote doesn’t meet some assessment requirements, approval could still be renewed if it was shown to be ‘essential to prevent a serious danger to human or animal health’, or that not approving it ‘would have a disproportionate negative impact on society compared to the risks’.

The NFU gathered evidence from farmers, growers and suppliers of treated wood to make this case.

Following fantastic feedback from members, the NFU sent a consultation response that set out clear and compelling justification for why the approval of Creosote for uses within agriculture must be renewed.

We raised significant concerns that treating wood material with alternatives to Creosote can result in risks to human and animal health, resulting from the early and unpredictable failure of wood support structures (eg, for hops) and livestock escaping through failed fencing.

Our limited economic assessment of impacts on livestock fencing (paid for in agri-environment schemes in England), and post and pole uses in desert apple and hop production, showed loss of Creosote would cost farmers an additional £453 million.

Creosote use renewed for livestock and equine fencing

Initially, the HSE postponed the approval expiry date for Creosote until 31 March 2026, to allow more time to complete the renewal evaluation.

Agreement with the EU threatens use

The new GB decision on renewed uses of Creosote runs until 31 March 2033. The renewal period is for just seven years because the regulator considers there is growing evidence that alternatives may be available and wants to consider moving towards phasing out use of Creosote in GB in the longer term.

While the outcome for livestock fencing is a huge success, with the potential to save the industry millions while it transitions to alternatives to Creosote, this result is now dragged into UK-EU SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) negotiations, after Defra’s Call for Information published in April unexpectedly expanded the scope of the SPS to include biocides like Creosote.

If the negotiation outcome meant following the EU position on Creosote, we’d lose all agricultural uses, including our hard-fought GB win for livestock fencing. The NFU is calling on Defra to work to avoid this happening by retaining its legitimate GB regulatory decision on Creosote under SPS agreement transitional arrangements.

“Now this report is suggesting that food price inflation is expected to reach 6-7% through the year due to rising costs, yet farmers are unlikely to see much of that return.

“This is something that needs to be taken very seriously – farmers and growers can’t absorb additional increases in costs. We will continue to work with government at the highest level on what it can do to support the sector at this challenging time.”

Food prices a ‘major concern’

As shipments struggle to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, higher energy prices are expected to feed through to fertiliser and agri-chemical costs in the coming months, adding further pressure to input cost budgets at a difficult time.

The banks’ agents have said that the conflict has ‘eroded confidence and dampened prior expectations for a modest pickup in real activity in 2026’.

The report also flags that rural households face particular exposure to rising energy and transport costs. It adds: ‘Household participants continue to feel pressure from rising prices, with food prices a major concern.’ 

 “It is also important we have regular conversations with banks, which play an important role in providing lending opportunities and working capital for UK farmers and growers,” NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins added.

The Bank of England regularly publishes a summary of business conditions based on intelligence gathered from its agents. 

More than a short-term shock

The war has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane carrying around 20% of the world’s oil and gas shipments and one fifth of the world’s global ammonia and urea supplies, sending shockwaves through global markets.

Global oil prices have surged as high as $120 barrel with red diesel prices swiftly following suit; NFU members have been reporting prices anywhere between 92 pence per litre to 138ppl since the start of the conflict.

Meanwhile, fertiliser prices have shot up by 32% (£404/t to £535/t) for AN and 44% (£455/t to £653/t) for urea since late February.

Natural gas accounts for 60%–80% of nitrogen fertiliser production costs and UK gas prices peaked at over 150 GBp/therm in March, roughly double pre-Iran conflict levels.

This is more than a short-term shock; it has exposed a structural vulnerability to growing food. We import 60% of our nitrogen, and, since the closure of our last ammonia plant in 2022, we are entirely reliant on imported ammonia feed stock in order to produce fertiliser at home.

An evidence-led approach

Despite these pressures, the role of fertiliser in UK food production is not up for debate. Our temperate climate, combined with efficient and effective use of fertiliser, allows us to achieve some of the highest wheat yields in the world.

If we are to continue to feed 70 million people every day, while using land efficiently as Defra’s recently published Land Use Framework demands, fertiliser remains essential to a resilient domestic food production system.

It is important to recognise that organic practices play an important role in supporting nutrient management planning and the wider circular economy, however, they cannot deliver the required yields alone. Research has shown that an integrated approach, using a combination of organic and mineral fertilisers, delivers higher yields than using either in isolation. 

Also, precision and timing matter as much as volume to ensure we are maximising our yield returns while protecting the environment and land that we farm. 

Trial and error approach to farm system transformation

At times of pressure, adopting alternative approaches is often suggested but is not straightforward.

Changes to farming practices require time, investment and a long-term commitment that is understood and supported by the wider supply chain, all while maintaining food supply.

For example, organic manures deliver genuine soil benefits and have an important role to play, but their nutrient release is slower and less predictable, and they work best as part of a planned, integrated nutrient management system.

Local conditions such as soil type, available markets, weather conditions, and viability of livestock integration will ultimately impact outcomes and productivity.

Economic pressures will always mean that farmers will strive to make better use of nutrients and it makes sense to always ensure manufactured fertiliser is used efficiently.

Farm business confidence ‘fragile’

Meanwhile government plans to introduce a carbon border adjustment mechanism in January 2027 risk pushing up the cost of fertiliser, piling on more costs at a time of significant pressure. This is why the NFU has called for this tax on carbon emissions to be postponed, and for a market review to be conducted in 12 months’ time.

The solutions and the technology are out there. The Precision Breeding Act in England is one example of this, with the potential to develop drought-tolerant wheat and non-allergenic varieties. But businesses need the confidence to invest and the support of government so that we can make the most out of these opportunities.

One of our few certainties is that the world will be a less certain place for some time. Therefore, it has never been more important we focus on ensuring a secure, sustainable supply of food and that starts with recognising the essential role fertiliser plays in feeding the nation.

Using gene editing technology, the barley has been modified to increase lipid content within the plant tissue.

The goal is to create a high energy forage crop for ruminant livestock such as cattle and sheep. Higher lipid levels in forage can improve feed efficiency and animal productivity, while also offering the potential to reduce methane emissions during digestion.

The genetic changes introduced are small edits that could also arise naturally or through conventional breeding methods. The crop was approved following an independent scientific assessment by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, confirming its compliance with regulatory standards.

Responsible innovation

Responding to the news, NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said: “This is a key landmark moment for UK crop innovation.

“To have achieved marketing approval for the first gene-edited crop shows that the UK’s regulatory framework can enable responsible innovation while delivering real, tangible benefits for farming and the environment.”

The NFU is lobbying the government for an exception to be applied to our gene editing legislation to ensure it isn’t affected by any UK-EU SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) agreement which is currently being negotiated.

The barley is now being assessed through the PROBITY (Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Trait and Yield) initiative. This programme brings together researchers, farmers and supply chain partners to test precision bred crops in real farming conditions.

The project is led by the British On Farm Innovation Network and funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK.

Shropshire livestock farmer Mervin Mullard, of Mainstone, competed in the Shakespeare Marathon, in Stratford upon Avon, to raise vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The South Shropshire NFU member swapped his wellies for trainers on 26 April, the same day as the London Marathon, for the run, which he said was to mark two deeply personal milestones.

“I took part to celebrate my 80th birthday, which was earlier this year, and to remember my beloved wife, Patricia, 10 years after her passing,” he said.

“When Patricia was ill, I ran my very first marathon with the hope of achieving a ‘good for age’ place in the London Marathon. 

“Sadly, she wasn’t there to see me cross the finish line in London and I haven’t run a marathon since.

Hot on the heels

“I must say it was fun until mile 18 and that’s when the heat really started to have an impact,” he said.

“There was just no shade and nowhere to hide from the sun.

“Up until that point I had been on course for under five hours but it was just too hot.”

A few years ago during the 35-mile Montgomery Canal Triathlon, Mervin crashed his bicycle but still managed to complete the course despite being injured but he has always carried on with his charity running and not been deterred. 

Before Stratford, Mervin’s last competitive race for charity was the Great North Run and he has always put his running success down to his farming roots.

“I know this race meant a lot and we were all thinking of him.

“He said his time this year might even get him in the London Marathon 2027 and I know he’s not ruling that possibility out!

“Well done Mervin on all that you do.”

Mervin’s Just Giving page can be found by searching for his name on the website.

Taking place only a few hours before the end of the parliamentary session, the debate provided an opportunity for MPs to make sure the concerns of their farming constituents were raised with the Minister before the break.

In addition to engaging with MPs locally, the NFU briefed MPs ahead of the debate to ensure key issues were raised with the Minister. 

NFU members were first on the agenda. Richard Foord MP (Liberal Democrat, Honiton and Sidmouth) brought the debate and began his speech by mentioning a recent meeting with his local NFU branch in Devon.

Food security was a key topic throughout the debate. Richard Foord reminded the chamber that “food security is fundamental to our national resilience” and highlighted the importance of domestic food production in the context of current global instability.

Profits are struggling

The continued conflict in the Middle East gave the discussion a particular urgency, with several MPs describing the volatile markets and increased prices of crucial farming inputs such as fertiliser and red diesel. Wendy Chamberlain MP (Liberal Democrat, North East Fife) told the chamber: “We are in a cost-of-living crisis, but also a cost of producing food crisis.”

MPs emphasised the need for a profitable farming sector. Sarah Gibson MP (Liberal Democrat, Chippenham) highlighted the underspend in the farming budget and the struggle for many farm businesses to turn a profit. In addition, Richard Foord asked the Minister for an update on their implementation of the recommendations in Baroness Batters’s farm profitability review.

SFI clarity

Caroline Voaden MP (Liberal Democrat, South Devon) called on the Minister to provide “greater clarity” on “the future offer across environmental schemes” and highlighted the particular need for clarity on the budget for the renewed SFI. 

Tim Farron MP (Liberal Democrat, Westmoreland and Lonsdale) raised concerns about the exclusion from ELMs of those who farm on common land due to the limitations of RPA computer software. He backed NFU calls for a swift resolution of the problem.

Crime costs, planning issues and mental health

Adam Dance MP (Liberal Democrat, Yeovil) highlighted the “huge sums” that rural crime and particularly equipment theft is costing farmers and called on the government to go further in its efforts to tackle the problem.

Danny Chambers MP (Liberal Democrat, Winchester) raised the challenges of the planning system and the burden it places on farm businesses wishing to expand or improve their infrastructure. Richard Foord described a constituent who had applied for a cover for a slurry store but is still waiting for a verdict eight months later.

Peter Prinsley (Labour, Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) told the Minister “we must do everything we can to support the mental health of our farmers”.

‘Farming matters to every constituency’ 

The Minister thanked all the MPs for their contributions and told the chamber, “farming matters to every constituency because it not only supports rural jobs and communities but produces the food we rely on”. She highlighted her own engagement with the farming community, including her own recent meeting with NFU President Tom Bradshaw.

The GB regulatory renewal assessment process for glyphosate is also underway and is being carried out by the HSE with a consultation expected to be published in the coming months. 

Science and evidence-led approach

NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said: “Regulatory bodies around the world have consistently assessed the full weight of scientific evidence and found that glyphosate is safe when used responsibly.

“Extensive independent reviews, including thousands of pages of independent expert review, have concluded glyphosate’s safety and any residues found in food are well within strict safety limits. We therefore fully expect a UK review process later this year to renew its approval for a full 15 years.
 
“Glyphosate remains an essential tool for our farmers and growers and, with the UK’s maritime climate and increasingly unpredictable weather, is used on cereals to make harvesting easier, to control weeds, and reduce disease, and help produce sustainable and affordable food for all.”

The NFU has always lobbied for a debate on glyphosate to be led by science and evidence, and continues to make the case that the herbicide glyphosate and other PPPs (plant protection products) play a key role in effective crop protection, which is essential to food production in the UK.

Glyphosate is one of the most extensively studied pesticides in the world.

Between 2019 and 2023, the EU Member State Competent Authorities, the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) and the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency), re-assessed all the science and evidence on glyphosate.

The assessment concluded that glyphosate is not a carcinogen and, under the conditions of approval and by following good agricultural practices, does not pose any harmful effects on human health and does not pose critical areas of concern regarding impact on the environment. 

Before we even drill a field, we need a clean slate. Without it, the crop has to compete with weeds from day one, and that competition costs yield, quality and, ultimately, profitability.

Traditionally, ploughing was the way to achieve that clean slate, but glyphosate gives us an alternative that protects soil structure, reduces fuel use, and helps us manage workloads more efficiently.

Safe and secure supply of food

It’s important to also point out that glyphosate, and other plant protection products, undergo a very rigorous authorisation process to ensure they are safe to use. They are expensive to buy and are only used when and where they are really needed, in a very targeted and responsible way. As well as controlling weeds, the regulations are clear that plant protection products have a role in managing or checking growth of crop plants.

Glyphosate at harvest time

Glyphosate can also have a role to play in the run up to harvest. The UK climate often means a crop doesn’t ripen at the same rate across a field, or the grain is ripe but the straw is very green and high in moisture making harvesting difficult and expensive. That inconsistency can prevent harvest and affect grain quality.

Using glyphosate like this, within the recommended use and respecting label requirements, ensures that the crop is evenly ripe, allowing us to harvest efficiently, deliver grain that meets the needs of the supply chain, and contribute towards a safe and secure supply of high-quality, sustainable food. 

Micronutrient premixes are reliant on stable, global chemical supply chains and so are particularly sensitive to these disruptions.

The result is tightened availability and increased price volatility, adding further cost pressures to producers who are already operating on narrow margins.

I'm trying to plan as best as I can for what feels like an incredibly unpredictable situation. 

Thinking about feed availability and costs, I'm having regular conversations with my supplier and would encourage others to do the same. Although it's incredibly difficult, we have to try and make the most informed decisions that we can. 

Poultry farmers feeling the impact of energy costs

Energy is a critical input for poultry production, used to heat housing for young birds, ventilate sheds and maintain environmental control systems. We rely heavily on gas and electricity as a sector so, given a substantial proportion of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, producers like me are rightly concerned.

The conflict has triggered sharp increases in global energy prices, and higher gas and oil prices translate directly into increased production costs. 
 
Energy cannot simply be reduced without compromising animal welfare, meaning poultry farmers are feeling the impact immediately.

Sustained energy inflation risks eroding profitability across broiler, layer and turkey enterprises both now and in the future. The NFU is closely monitoring the situation and we are already feeding concerns into the government.

On my farm, I'm ensuring energy use is as efficient as it can be. Investing in good technology has enabled me to monitor energy use and the data produced ensures I maximise the best environment for the birds which translates to better production. 

Difficult decisions

It is essential to ensure we have the best contract for the business we operate and this will differ between farms.

I've had to make huge decisions in the past regarding who I work with in the wider supply chain to ensure the viability of my business and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made.

Even if your current relationships work, it's important to assess where you might be in the future if cost volatility continues and to be aware of your options should the situation dictate the need for change.

Cost pressures threaten business viability

To conclude, the situation has exposed the UK poultry sector’s vulnerability to global energy and chemical supply shocks, similar to constraints and impacts we’ve seen with other global shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic and when Russia invaded Ukraine.

For some producers, micronutrient availability is already tightening, energy costs are rising and haulage is becoming more expensive. This is creating cumulative pressure that threatens business viability and producer confidence against a backdrop of rising demand for British poultry meat and eggs. 
 
Strengthening resilience and ensuring fair support for domestic food production will be essential as geopolitical instability continues and this is something the NFU Poultry Board continues to prioritise.

The conflict in the Middle East has sent costs of production skyrocketing at a time when growers are already seriously considering the profitability of sugar beet. 

Even prior to the conflict, growers collectively took up the option to put three-quarters of one million tonnes of sugar beet on ‘contract holiday’ with British Sugar this year – opting not to grow in 2026 while retaining the right to in 2027 in the hope that margins in the crop may improve.

These are growers for whom beet is a critical part of the rotation, but who simply can’t afford to grow at current prices.

Add into the equation the current situation with aphid numbers and Virus Yellows pressure and growers are facing an even tighter squeeze on already wafer-thin margins.

While the prices of many commodities, including wheat and OSR, have strengthened since the conflict began, the same is not true for all sectors and sugar market conditions remain challenging. As we head into what will unquestionably be a very difficult negotiation, with costs of production hitting new ceilings, something has got to give.

What we’re doing on inputs

Red diesel and road diesel prices up c.30% and c.40% respectively are only the beginning of my concerns in relation to fuel.

I’m aware of many growers increasingly having to order fuel ‘price unseen’ and, while I commend purchasing groups for doing a good job at a difficult time, this is simply crippling in terms of on-farm planning.

Within our business we’ve begun to look at some of the hedging tools available through some of the purchasing groups in order to capitalise on lower prices as and when they occur, but the opportunities to do so have been limited so far.

Concerns about future availability

Looking forward, I’m particularly concerned about availability. As we head towards harvest and then onto the sugar beet campaign we’re going to need fuel for tractors, lorries, harvesters, dryers, cleaner loaders and everything else besides. 

I’ve already heard of farms borrowing supplies from neighbours in order to keep the wheels rolling.

In the words of the government, ‘food security is national security’. I would urge it to be prepared to take all necessary steps to support farming and food production at this critical time.   

But the planning system can have a serious impact on all types of agricultural businesses, restricting the ability to invest and directly impacting on competitiveness and food security.

If the government is serious about food security being national security, then farming and growing businesses must be able to invest and modernise so they can meet animal welfare and environmental requirements and become more resilient.

Clearer more streamlined planning system

The NFU has welcomed many of the proposals in the draft National Planning Policy Framework. The intention to deliver a clearer, more streamlined planning system that reduces duplication and supports investment is a positive step.

To back British farming and support the contribution of agricultural businesses to the wider economy and UK food security, the blockages and challenges currently faced across the planning system must be addressed.

Let us know about your planning experiences in our short 3-minute survey. 

Take part

Lobbying for growth in rural Britain

We are planning a series of lobbying events, including industry collaborations and ministerial roundtables, in the months ahead. Your input will help provide examples of what has worked, what hasn’t and how the system can be improved.

Permanent pasture including rough grazing (64% ) – which saw the biggest increase by 11% – temporary pasture (17%) and cereals (9.3%) were the leading land uses. 

Organic livestock on the decline

Organic livestock numbers mostly declined:

• Cattle: 3.8% 
• Sheep: 4.6% 
• Poultry (overall): 2%, eggs increased 
• Pigs: 21% 

Every major livestock category is shrinking, with pigs showing the sharpest decline with a 21% reduction. 

However, there is one notable exception within the poultry sector; organic laying hens increased from 2.174 million to 2.333 million, representing a 7.3% rise.

Future remains uncertain

NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said the findings presented an “interesting, somewhat contradictory picture”.

“The rise in land entering organic conversion suggests renewed interest, but organic farming is evidently not without challenges,” he said.

“Part of the sector has either seen small increases or is in decline; some livestock numbers are falling, arable areas shrinking, and the number of operators is continuing to drop. 

“Consumer demand for organic food remains strong and the NFU wants that appetite to be met here in the UK. However, while policy incentives appear to have encouraged farmers and growers to begin the journey toward organic production, the closure of the 2024 Sustainable Farming Incentive created uncertainty, making it harder to plan in the long term.

“And with regulatory alignment with the EU expected in the next couple of years, the future remains uncertain.

“It’s never been more important to have a resilient British food system with farmers and growers at its heart, and that includes organic. We just need the confidence and support to grow our businesses.” 

Governing parties often have a tough time during local elections, and this year was no different, with the Labour Party losing a total of 1,496 councillors. The Conservative Party list more than 500 councillors, leaving many pundits claiming that t ‘two party politics’ (eg, the traditional dominance of the Labour and Conservative Party) is well and truly over. 

Reform UK  gained 1,451 councillors and took control of 14 councils right across England, including in rural areas, winning county councils such as Suffolk and Norfolk and making significant gains in East and West Sussex, Hampshire and North East Lincolnshire at the expense of the Conservatives. 

Reform also won at the expense of the Labour Party in areas such as Barnsley, Wakefield and Sunderland, as well as making a substantial gain in seats across the West Midlands in places like Coventry and in the South of England in Plymouth. Labour also lost in other, often more urban, areas to the Greens and Liberal Democrats.

Source: BBC

The view from Wales

Meanwhile after more than a century of being the biggest party in Wales, Labour was reduced to third place, losing 20 Senedd seats to the benefit of Plaid Cymru in some places and Reform in others. Plaid won 43 seats in Senedd, up 30, but 6 seats short of a majority.

Elsewhere, Reform made major gains, winning 34 Senedd seats – up from 0 at the 2021 Senedd elections. The Conservatives suffered heavy losses, losing 6 Senedd seats, while the Green Party gained 2 seats and the Liberal Democrats held their 1 seat. 
 
As Plaid Cymru is short of a majority, its leader in the Senedd Rhun ap Iorwerth has signalled his preference is to govern Wales as a minority government. This will mean relying on the support of other political parties when passing a Budget or legislation. 

Plaid Cymru said that within its first 100 days it would establish a multi-year funding cycle for post-Brexit farm subsidies; in Wales this is called the SFS (Sustainable Farming Scheme). The deadline for applications is Friday 15 May. 
 
Plaid has also promised that it will commission an independent review into the ‘bureaucratic burden’ on family farms, promising to remove duplicated or unnecessary paperwork. It has also promised a new food strategy, to put Welsh food at the heart of public procurement in schools and hospitals. 

Find out more about NFU Cymru’s work in the run-up to the elections.

Engaging with your local council

This is why engagement between NFU members and their local councils is so important.

This is particularly true following the May 2026 elections, when so many new councillors have been elected, who may want to learn more about how they can support the farming businesses in their local areas. If you are interested in hosting an MP or Councillor on your farm, read our page on hosting an MP on farm or contact your regional NFU office. 

Two application windows

There will be two application windows this year for SFI. This is a departure from the unlimited access that operated in recent versions of SFI.

The first window has been confirmed as opening on 30 June 2026 for two groups: 

• small farms
• farms without an existing ELM (Environmental Land Management) revenue agreement. 

You could be eligible to apply under both these criteria but remember, you can only apply once for SFI26. The current definitions and rules for applying can be found at: GOV.UK | SFI26. 

The second application window will open in September 2026 for all farmers and land managers that are eligible.

Window 1 will remain open for around 2 months. It may close sooner if demand is high and the budget for the first window is fully allocated.

Once applications open, Defra will publish updates on how much of the first and second window budgets have been allocated on Defra’s Farming Blog. Defra intends to do this once 25%, 50% and 75% of the funding is allocated. Defra are encouraging eligible farmers to apply as early as possible.

There is still time to prepare for SFI26 and below is our updated guide to help you do this.

Farmers with expiring SFI23, CSMT, CSHT or HLS agreements

Defra has confirmed the following:

Usually, farmers with soon-to-expire ELM revenue agreements would not be able to access the full SFI offer until their existing agreement ended.
To help these farmers, we are developing functionality in the SFI26 application service to allow them to apply early for SFI26, before their existing agreements expire 
This affects farmers with agreements which expire by the end of February 2027, as this is the latest expiry date that would have allowed them to enter SFI26. Under usual circumstances they’d be forced to apply late in Window 2, by which point the window might have closed. 
We’re pleased to confirm that this new functionality will be available for Window 2 (from September 2026). For SFI26, it will apply to farmers with agreements expiring by the end of February 2027, under the following schemes: 

• SFI23 
• CSMT (Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier) 
• Legacy CSHT (CS Higher Tier) 
• Environmental Stewardship HLS (Higher Level Stewardship)

The new functionality will allow SFI26 agreements to start after the relevant soon-to-expire agreement has ended. 

Farmers with agreements expiring at the end of March 2027 or later may be able to apply for a future SFI offer. 

We’ll announce the timing of the SFI27 offer in due course. 

Which window should I apply for?

Depending on your situation, you may have the option of choosing which window to apply for if you’re eligible for both but, you can only have one agreement for SFI26 across both windows.  

Which one you do apply for will ultimately depend on your circumstances. Factors to consider include presence, proportion and remaining time left in existing ELMs revenue schemes such as Countryside Stewardship or SFI23 and for some an existing agreement expiring by the end of February 2027. You can also only make one application per RPA-recognised business for SFI26.

What you can do to prepare

What is clear is that this new approach is going to be a challenge for many given the time demands of the farming year in the coming months.

Here are the key steps to think about now:

1. Check your digital maps show the correct land details

Whether you believe your RPA mapping is up to date or you have not looked at them since the last BPS claim or agreement application, you need to check them carefully. What’s also key is to ensure you have management control for SFI26, considering the three year duration of the scheme. This is set out in Section 6 of the SFI26 Scheme Guidance.

This is the most important check to do given that SFI is a land based scheme and the way the Rural Payments service uses the land details it holds to determine whether you can access particular SFI actions, as those SFI actions have land eligibility requirements.

Example: If you want to put an arable based SFI action on a field, but the RPA mapping shows the field is showing as permanent pastures, the service is not going to allow you to apply for that SFI action. 

Therefore, both what is on the ground as well as recorded on the RPA service needs to align. This includes both the land cover – the board land types (for example, arable land, permanent grassland, permanent crops, or relevant non-agricultural land cover) and the land use (for example, the land cover is arable and the land use are compatible with one another).

If the land covers and land uses are not compatible, or their areas do not match, this will prevent you from selecting the affected land parcel in your SFI26 application. Also, eligible land type, which is the actual type of land you have that may be grassland, needs to be suitable for the SFI actions that you plan to use. Section 5 of the SFI26 Scheme Guidance will provide more information on land cover, land use and land type.

You need to ensure that your RPA mapping records show you have:

• At least 3ha of agricultural land. Needed to be able to start an application.
• All the land parcels you want to include in your SFI26 application are associated with the SBI (single business identifier) wishing to apply.
• The correct total area (in hectares) for each land parcel is shown, particularly looking at boundary or ineligible land use activity.
• The correct land covers for each parcel.

You do not need to check or update your RPA map hedge layer as this is not being used for SFI.

This is important to check now because you cannot add land or make certain land changes to land in an SFI application once it has been created and if it is being worked on.

If you have any existing schemes on your land, ensure that any changes made for SFI26 purposes are considered across those other schemes and, where necessary, inform the RPA of changes that affect those other schemes. 

For more information read the RPA guidance on how to check your digital maps. If you find you need to update your digital maps, ask the RPA to do this as soon as possible so you are not waiting for changes to be carried out while the application windows are open. Read: GOV.UK | How to update your digital maps online.

Finally, there is also information set out in Sections 5, 6 and 10 of the SFI26 Scheme Guidance covering consents and checks you may need to do in order to apply for certain SFI actions on land which may have certain designations. For historical features, you may need to request an SFI HEFER (Historic Environment Farm Environment Record) or check if there are SSSIs (sites of special scientific interest), trees or wildlife habitats present. 

2. Are your details up to date?

Check your registered contact details are up to date in the Rural Payments service as the RPA use these details, including your business email address, to contact you about your SFI26 application and agreement offer.

To apply in window 2, your farm business needs to be registered with the RPA (so it has an SBI) at the point you want to start an application. For window 1, eligible applicants had to be registered with the RPA by 1 January 2026 as set out in the guidance. 

3. Check your permissions

You need to have the correct permission to apply for an SFI26 agreement for your business (SBI).

To check this:

• Sign into the Rural Payments service
• Navigate to ‘Business Overview’
• Select ‘Give people permission to act for this business’
• To make an application you need to have one of the following permissions:
  • ‘Business Details: Full’ 
  • ‘BPS: Submit’
  • ‘CS Applications: Submit’.

If you have someone helping you with an application and applying on your behalf, you need to check that they’re registered with the RPA in the Rural Payments service, and that you have given them the correct permissions.

4. Read the SFI26 guidance and plan your application

On 17 June, Defra published the final scheme information for SFI26.

If you have previously read the near-final version of this guidance, there have been a small number of changes made.

You can easily identify these changes in the change log by navigating to the base of the page and selecting ‘Show all updates’ beside the ‘Last updated’ timestamp by visiting: GOV.UK | Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26): scheme information

It is really important before applying for SFI26 to read the guidance carefully, especially if you are familiar with the previous SFI offers. If you have an SFI23 or 24 agreement it is important to continue to follow the respective scheme information for those agreements. As set below, this guidance forms part of the contract you have with Defra for SFI26.

The guidance includes sections listed below, which are explained further in our scheme explainer: SFI – scheme guidance and information

• Terms and conditions
• Scheme rules
• SFI26 action information and mandatory requirements
• Guidance on applying

You can find the information published above via: GOV.UK | Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26): scheme information

The Find Funding tool is really helpful to help you drill down the 71 actions to those interested in and have a think first before heading online to pull together application. To help those classified as a small farm, Defra has set out a map of popular SFI actions by region, showing the most common actions chosen by mixed/arable and grassland farms up to 50 hectares already in SFI agreements.    

When looking at the SFI actions, take particular notice of the compatibility of the SFI actions and how they interact with other SFI/CS/ES agreements that you may have, especially rotational action requirements.  Also consider how they will work beyond Year 1 of an agreement and how SFI actions work when you may have an agreement start date that does not fit in with your farming/cropping year.

On 30 June, the RPA has produced a ‘how to apply’ video which can be watched via: YouTube | SFI26 - How to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026

Additionally the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has produced an SFI cost benefit tool which enables farmers and land managers to select actions and volumes of those actions they are considering to include in their agreement. The tool asks you to estimate how much you think it would cost to complete the action and takes the difference between payment rate and estimated cost to calculate a revenue benefit.

If you have any queries on the scheme requirements please ask. Contact either the RPA or NFU CallFirst.

Of course, we are now facing the biggest change in TB policy since 2013 with the government having effectively ended wildlife control in England. 

However, we still firmly believe that TB policy should be led by science, not politics.

Progress must not be undone

APHA’s 2023 Birch paper showed that the herd incidence rate of TB reduced by 56% in areas that have had four or more years of wildlife control. All this hard work has seen us achieve the lowest levels of bTB in England in nearly 20 years.

We do not want to see this progress undone by halting what we know is a successful approach, without proven, effective alternatives.

That’s why, in a recent ministerial meeting with Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle, your Livestock Board Chair David Barton and I stressed the importance of access to targeted culling where and when it is needed.

But we also know wildlife control isn’t the sole solution. 

Comprehensive approach

We’ve long talked about a comprehensive approach to TB eradication. Both Labour and Conservative governments have sought to end wildlife control; it’s vital that other measures, which frankly have languished in the background for too long, now progress at pace.

Preventing cattle to cattle transmission is vital and farmers are doing huge amounts to maintain stringent on-farm biosecurity. But we urgently need a viable cattle vaccine to remove this risk and that depends on an effective DIVA test which can determine between an infected animal and a vaccinated one.

Access to supplementary private testing on a voluntary basis would also help empower farmers further in the fight against TB, as they have the potential to reveal undisclosed infection and identify higher-risk animals much earlier.

But to do that, private veterinary surgeons and farmers need greater flexibility so they can access and utilise these tests.

We need the research

And then there’s badger vaccination. This understandably garners the most scepticism.

Several small research projects have now been undertaken. While the results were encouraging in showing a reduction of TB among the badger population, there are still big questions about whether it’s even possible to vaccinate enough badgers as part of a scaled-up national programme and if it would be an economically viable use of taxpayers’ money.

Critically, we also need to determine whether it does reduce the transmission of TB from badgers to cattle.

This is exactly why we need the research.

It’s also why a group of members down in Cornwall is undertaking a bigger badger vaccination trial, supported by the NFU and the ZSL (Zoological Society of London) in securing funding from Defra.

Science and evidence-based approach

To be clear – we don’t see badger vaccination as a direct alternative to culling. This is about having access to as many tools as possible which, together, can lead us to eradication.

At the heart of this must be science and evidence. 

We know that for farmers to get behind these measures, they need to have confidence that they will work. 

That’s why further research and development of both the badger and cattle vaccines now need to be driven by a real sense of urgency – something we haven’t seen from this or the previous government so far.

And, critically, we need this evidence base and proof of success before ministers choose to use these measures as a foundation for their eradication strategy.

For a generation of 1970s schoolchildren looking back through the rose-tinted spectacles of middle age, the summer of 1976 was an endless summer of glorious sunny days, only occasionally interrupted by the tedium of having to queue at a standpipe in the street to collect a bucketful of water.

But for the nation’s food producers, that summer half a century ago is more likely remembered as months of anxiety as crops withered, livestock struggled and the countryside became as dry as tinder.

Prolonged dry weather

Thanks to Lodge Farm’s heavy soil, which retained moisture better than many other areas, David remembers 1976 offering a mixed picture, with fantastic quality winter wheat, an incredible crop of peas, reasonable winter and spring barley, but a disaster with field beans.

“When you look further afield, crops on estates with lighter soil shrivelled up to nothing, and they didn’t have the capacity in those days to irrigate.”

The drought severely affected horticulture, reducing vegetable and fruit yields, and those that survived were often of poor quality, with shortages continuing into 1977.

Farms also struggled to find casual workers willing to work in the glasshouses because of the extreme heat.

Fodder shortage

Fire fears

Fires became a major hazard, with many hedges across the country burning, along with scrub and heath land across Wales and southern England.

David said: “In those days we had stubble burning – it wasn’t banned in 1976 although it should have been. If you dropped a lit match, it could be catastrophic. People were going out and creating fire breaks in their fields because they feared if a fire broke out it could go on for miles.”

Drought Bill introduced

In July, the government was spurred into action, introducing a Drought Bill to increase its regulatory powers to move water and appointing a minister for drought.

“Poor old Dennis Howell got the job,” remembered David. “What was he meant to do – a rain dance? We all had great sympathy for him, and he had great sympathy for us. But he couldn’t do a hell of a lot.”

Anthony said: “The drought was so severe there were standpipes in the street and lorries were transporting water from the river Ouse and Calder and trying to fill the reservoir.

“We did not have to dry the grain! The godsend was that although the yield was less than a quarter of normal, the prices had increased six to eightfold. As my grandfather said, ‘you are better with half the crop and double the price’.”

David added that as the UK had recently joined the European Economic Community (in 1973) farmers had the benefit of the higher prices than under the old support system.

Drought recovery

Recovery from the drought was rapid once the autumn rains arrived, but the downpours then led to severe waterlogging, damaging the soil structure where root crops had been harvested.

The drought did lead to an increased interest in water storage and irrigation on farm, and some increased government grants to support it. The public had also become more aware of the importance of British farming after noticing a reduction in both the quantity and quality of food on shop shelves. Food prices also rose significantly with the drought.

“The rains came in September, and the industry gave a great big sigh of relief. Like all farmers, we were pretty resilient, we tightened our belts and we got through it,” said David. 

Sentencing guidelines help make sure that judges and magistrates in courts across England and Wales take a consistent approach to sentencing.

For several years, the NFU has pressed government to address the impact of hare coursing at every stage of the criminal justice system. 

The new guideline sets out clear, aggravating factors for judges to consider, including the use of social media to film offences and breaches of community protection notices.

It also draws attention to key powers introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, enabling courts to disqualify offenders from owning dogs and to order them to pay the costs associated with the seizure and detention of dogs involved in hare coursing offences.

The guideline also expands ‘harm factors’ to include distress, injury and loss of life to animals, and serious harm caused to property, land, crops or other wildlife habitat. 

Restoring the feeling of safety on farm

“Hare coursing doesn’t just damage farmland, it leaves a lasting emotional scar on farming families, many of whom are left feeling vulnerable, isolated and fearful of going about their daily work,” said NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt.

“Farms are not just places of work but are also our homes and for too long dangerous criminals have exploited this. We know of one farmer who has reported more than 200 incidents of hare coursing in the past eight months.

“The NFU has driven its campaign to ensure the voices of farmers and growers are heard, and we welcome the Sentencing Council’s recognition of the need for tougher, more consistent sentencing to help protect farmers and their livelihoods and restore the feeling of safety on farm and in rural communities.”

In January 2025, the Sentencing Council launched a consultation on the guidelines, with the NFU submitting detailed evidence to ensure the voices and experiences of farmers and growers were fully reflected.

The NFU also attended the Operation Galileo Conference at Leicestershire Police HQ, where two NFU members gave evidence on the devastating impact of hare coursing on victims.

On announcing the new guideline, His Honour Judge Simon Drew KC, member of the Sentencing Council, said: “Illegal activities associated with hare coursing cause real harm – to wildlife, to property, to farmers and their families and to the wider rural communities that often deal with the repercussions of this aggressive crime.

“The strength of feeling we heard through our consultation made clear just how seriously this issue is felt. This guideline ensures the courts have the tools to reflect that harm in sentencing”

With GB deadweight cattle prices falling away in recent months and price volatility becoming the new normal for beef producers, NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton’s open letter calls on the supply chain to back the British beef sector.

David summarises the diverse challenges facing producers – from processing delays to fuel and fertiliser price rises – that are diminishing farmer confidence across the sector.

He calls on producers and processors “to show producers long-term support”, stressing the need for both greater transparency and stability.

Highlighting the disproportionate level of risk carried by producers, David writes: “We want processors and customers of British beef to show the same commitment to grow the sector.”

Read the letter in full:

As the UK is no longer in the EU, this framework does not apply to England and Wales or other parts of the UK. 

The UK Government has introduced its own state subsidy control arrangements since leaving the EU, but has not yet introduced a specific measure targeted at the impacts of the crisis in the Middle East. 

How does the framework help farmers and growers in the EU?

• The EU framework will apply retroactively from 1 March 2026, and last until 31 December 2026.
• The national support per beneficiary can cover up to 70% of the additional costs for fuel and fertilisers directly caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
• ‘Additional costs’ are defined as the difference between current market prices and a historical benchmark chosen by the Member State, applied to current or latest pre‑crisis usage levels. It is not a blanket subsidy.
• For smaller or more vulnerable businesses, there is a simplified support route allowing aid of up to €50,000 per beneficiary, based on proxies (eg, farm size or typical fuel use) rather than detailed proof of actual fuel/fertiliser consumption.
• The aid may be granted in the form of direct grants, tax and payment advantages, or other forms such as guarantees, loans and equity. 

In addition, the framework introduces further flexibility for energy-intensive industries under the CISAF (Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework), notably by allowing higher aid intensities for electricity costs. 

However, although the EU Commission has given Member States the legal flexibility to fund national support, it has so far not granted any additional EU money. That is now a decision for individual countries in compliance with the framework.  

The EU is due to publish its fertiliser action plan on 19 May. This is expected to cover short- and long-term measures to reduce the EU’s dependency on imported fertilisers, to stimulate the use of organic and green fertilisers and to improve the transparency of the sector. 

NFU urging government to adopt immediate measures

Responding to the news of the framework, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “The costs of things like red diesel and fertiliser, which are key to fuel farm machinery and boost crop and grass growth, have become incredibly volatile. Some members have reported red diesel costs rising as much as 90% and fertiliser as much as 44%.

“The situation is changing constantly but one thing is clear – this is not sustainable, for farmers or for consumers who are facing the prospect of higher food prices.

“Governments in Europe and elsewhere are taking steps to ensure the production of affordable food by providing targeted support for farmers and growers, and we need to see this in the UK too. The NFU is urging ministers to adopt immediate measures that would help keep on-farm cost inflation under control and to back efforts to boost resilience in our food systems, in turn reducing both farmers’ and consumers’ exposure to global shocks.

“We know that the impacts of this war could be felt well into 2027, and it’s vital farmers and growers are given confidence that they can minimise risks when it comes to making planting decisions for next year.”   

This year’s Cultivate conference, hosted at Heaton House Farm in Macclesfield and powered by agri-marketing agency Hillsgreen, explored its theme – “Leading through change” – via its wide variety of speakers, who shared their expertise in rural management, leadership and business growth.

Embracing change

Insight from industry leaders

Every speaker on the Cultivate programme was specifically chosen because of the value and insight they can provide to those working in the rural and agricultural sector. It was therefore no surprise to hear from two speakers at the top of their respective produce markets: Eleanor Thatcher from Thatchers Cider, and Sarah Dean from Noble Foods.

As part of her presentation, Eleanor Thatcher underlined the importance of a solid relationship between employer and employee to successful business practice. She outlined the loyalty that Thatchers has to both its traditions and employees, with 20% of its staff being trained in-house through apprenticeships – a level above the industry standard.

Similarly, Sarah Dean spoke about the worth of a company vision and relationship-building. Large-scale agricultural businesses are successful when human relationships are valued alongside business strategy and ambition, she said.

Sarah argued that success is also achieved when decisions are made with a consideration of their effects upon producers, animals and the planet even when the decisions themselves are difficult.

Sarah Dean, from Noble Foods, spoke about the worth of a company vision and relationship-building.

Both speakers circled back to the value and importance of the family business, articulating the power multigenerational legacies have within the modern-day market as well as the challenges these businesses face.

They explored how new trends – such as “free” products like ‘Crack’d: The Egg Free Egg’ and ‘Thatcher’s Zero’ – represent evolutions of the entrepreneurial spirit within the families, even if they may not have been the traditional or expected ideas for their businesses.

No ‘one‑size‑fits‑all’ sector

Speaking of unexpected ideas, many lessons could be learned from those outside the sector. Adventurer and expedition leader Oli France’s talk added to the variety of discussions that were made regarding the volatility of working with the natural environment. He emphasised the importance of what he termed the ‘Cs’– clarity, conviction and competence when communicating, to ensure that “trust is an unseen power” even when challenges seem insurmountable.

There was one other important ‘C’ highlighted at this year’s conference – and that was ‘caricature’. It’s easy to think that all farmers face the same challenges, and that’s something that the Cultivate conference thoroughly scrutinised. It deliberately avoided presenting farming as a ‘one‑size‑fits‑all’ sector.

Reflecting on everything I heard throughout the day, I was reminded that farming is a network of passionate individuals united by the industry we work in, all the while facing bespoke challenges. All that is left to do, to tackle those challenges, is to action the ideas presented.

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At just 22 years old, Will Grovestock is already NFU North Hertfordshire Vice-chair and is preparing to launch his own business.

Will is also Hertfordshire YFC (Young Farmers’ Club) Vice-chair, Chair of the senior branch of St Albans Young Farmers and a Hertfordshire County Show senior steward.

He was awarded the Sydney Fawcett Trophy at the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs Annual Meeting in April.

This was in recognition of his speech supporting proposals to increase YFC membership fees, where he spoke passionately about the value of the organisation and the need for it to have a sustainable future.

‘I love being a farmer’

Encouraging young people

With the average age of a farmer in the UK at 60, Will is supporting the NFU’s work to encourage more young people into farming and give the industry a sustainable future.  

A joint industry report published in autumn 2021 estimated there were 500,000 vacancies across the food and farming industry.

Labour availability is a significant barrier for many businesses across the sector and is restricting the opportunities for growth and often resulting in the contraction of food production.

Will said: “At school everyone talked about going into banking and things like that, so I never spoke about farming.

“I fell into farming through my horse riding – taking part in events and making farming connections.”

Will went to Hartpury College at 16, where his love of farming grew, then The Royal Agricultural University at Cirencester.

Many different roles in agriculture

Will has worked on an arable and sheep farm near Hatfield and is now a self-employed contract farmer.

He plans to work a harvest season in Australia from September before returning to Hertfordshire to launch his own business working with water systems and drainage to play a role in delivering much-needed water security for farms in the area, alongside continuing his contract farming work.

Will said: “There are so many different roles in agriculture that people don’t know about. Farming isn’t just about sitting in a tractor.”

He was inspired by his former boss Jamie Burrows to get involved with the NFU.

NFU Combinable Crops Board Chair Jamie Burrows

Excited about the future

Jamie Burrows, who farms near St Albans, is the national NFU Combinable Crops Board Chair.

Will said: “Jamie has been really supportive, and I’ve been able to act as a link between the NFU and young people here.

“We’ve been able to get a lot more young people at NFU and Young Farmer meetings. They always come away saying they got a lot out of it and want to get more involved.

“I don’t know exactly what the future looks like for me or where I’ll be in five or 10 years from now, but it’s a future I’m really excited about.”

Jamie said: “Will is a great lad who works hard at everything he does.

“Winning the Sydney Fawcett Trophy was well deserved. He speaks very eloquently on agriculture and YFC, be it in front of members, in Westminster in front of MPs or indeed at the NFU Conference.

“His story shows that you don’t need to be from a farming background to get on in the industry.

“There are other young people like Will doing great work. These are the people who will take farming forward and give the industry a positive future.”

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NFU Dairy Board Vice-chair Rob Davies is shining a spotlight on prioritising men's health, having taken part in Hereford's Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride to raise money for Movember. 

It's an event the motorcycle enthusiast has been involved with for the past three years. Organised by a group of veterans, the event in Hereford has grown year on year; this year, 85 motorcyclists donning their best suits raised £2,800 for Movember, the ride’s official charity partner of ten years.

Good cause

Escapism

The keen motorcyclist says that biking is one way he takes care of his mental health, and he certainly practises what he preaches.

He takes any opportunity to get out on his bike, especially on those rare days when the sun is shining.

But if that isn’t your thing, “whatever floats your boat” will do, Rob said.

Rob added: “It’s just a bit of escapism, and it’s very good for one’s wellbeing.”

Third times a charm

The NFU Dairy Board Vice-chair has taken part in every Hereford ride, having had a passion for motorcycles and a licence to boot for around 40 years.

On taking part, Rob said: ”Oh it’s brilliant, I love it. Everybody looks so smart.”

Rob farms in partnership with his family, including his son Harry, and relishes the opportunity to bond with his son.

Rob said: “We live and breathe farming and cows. That’s all we talk about, apart from motorbikes. So it’s something completely separate.

“We also meet with a completely different group of people – and there’s lot of camaraderie with motorcyclists. You go along the road and you see another bike and they’ll almost always nod at you, almost without fail.”

Rob comes back year on year for this sense of community, which he notes is not dissimilar to that of farming, alongside the worthy causes the ride supports.

‘Change the face of men’s health’

The ride celebrated 15 years of communities worldwide donning dapper attire and riding vintage-style motorcycles to raise awareness and funds for men’s health.

To date, the Gentleman’s Ride has raised $60.5 million globally across 110 countries with 130,000 riders participating. 

Both organisations share a goal ‘to bring people together and change the face of men’s health’, and funds raised go toward Movember’s work in two key areas: men’s mental health and suicide prevention and prostate cancer.

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Holly concurs, adding: “Kit gives me the space to make my own mistakes and learn from them. When I did my first show, I didn’t want to use the cow nose clips. That was a big mistake! I got in the ring and the heifer pulled me all over the place. I won’t do that again.”

Having a go at cattle showing

Working in the industry all his life, Kit says showing is his great passion and brings a bit of light relief to what can sometimes, particularly in the recent climate, be a tough day job.

“I’ve always been involved in cattle and had a love for them, and I just thought, one day, I have to make a hobby of this. I didn’t win anything initially, but it brought me joy.

“I was a rugby player as a younger man and sport was my life but after my accident I had to find another hobby,” he says.

As a 17-year-old farm worker, Kit was involved in an accident where tassels on the clothing he was wearing were blown into an unguarded and damaged power take-off shaft (PTO). As a result of the incident, Kit lost an arm and endured five years of skin grafts.

“We’ve had some ups and downs through farming, but the showing has never stopped. We’ve got better and better. It’s a love, a passion, and you cry. You cry with joy, and you cry with pain. When you breed all these cows and you sit up all night with them calving and the calf dies and the mother is breaking her heart, you do too. It doesn’t matter how often it happens; it still hurts you.

Holly has known Kit since she was a child and is learning all there is to know about showing from him.

“The calves are with their mothers for six to nine months then you wean them off and the following year you turn them out. That’s when you see the grandmother, the daughter, and the grandchild all in the field together and it comes full circle. There is something beautiful about that.”

A perfect partnership

Holly, who has known Kit since she was a child, says: “I agree, it’s definitely a passion. I’d been so lucky to help Kit and I’m so grateful for him letting me get involved. I knew nothing when I started two years ago, not even how to put a halter on. He’s had a lot of patience with me.”

“That’s all part of it though,” says Kit. “I’m not going to be able to do it forever so it’s important to pass my knowledge on, plus I can’t show properly with one arm. I’m not great at showing but my cattle are good, so working with Holly is a perfect partnership. She is now able to pass on her knowledge so we’re coming full circle too, which is what it’s all about.

“Farming is hard enough but the community that comes with showing and the county shows in general is fantastic. There are people who show who aren’t from farming too, it’s all about meeting people and getting out and having some light relief. It gets you away from your job – be that farming or not.”

Kit and Holly’s show season usually starts in January by selecting the ‘show team’. These cattle will then be washed regularly and clipped and fed a diet which includes Muscle Master paste, Kit says. 

“For the ten minutes you get in the ring, it is hard work, but I love it,” Holly adds. “For anyone thinking about it, definitely give it a go.”

Following a passion

Holly, who has also been involved with cattle from a very early age, says she could not imagine doing anything else: “I have been extremely lucky as I was brought up on my grandparents’ dairy farm in Cheshire. My whole family is from farming. My grandad, who unfortunately is no longer with us, is my biggest inspiration and the thought of making him proud keeps me going.

“From leaving school I went on to study agriculture, which I enjoyed and came out with the qualifications I wanted. Working at a few places learning different systems allowed me to gain the knowledge and experience I have to work with cattle today.

Kit Hopley says showing is his great passion that brings a bit of light relief to a (sometimes) demanding day job.

“I was like a fish out of water when I first started working with Kit, but I have come a long way and showing has made me the person I am today.”

Chance to socialise

A few years ago, Kit was fortunate enough to win several Interbreed Championships for the first time in his career and says showing doesn’t need to be expensive, with some products available in supermarkets or online.

Attending county shows is about more than just taking part in the show ring though.

“The majority of people never get close to livestock but at county shows, people can do just that and during that time they’re finding out what we do as farmers. They learn that butter and milk doesn’t just appear on the supermarket shelves,” Kit says.

“For farmers, it can sometimes be a very lonely job; so going to the shows can be a relief beneficial to their health. It could be the only time they’re getting off the farm and have a chance to talk to somebody and forget about what’s going on at home.

“I feel very fortunate to have met and made so many friends around the country showing the Mosscroft herd and also having the privilege of being on the National Judging panel travelling throughout the country.”

Challenges in the supply chain

It is perhaps unsurprising, but no less frustrating as a result, that members are starting to report challenges around passing on any of the added costs within their supply chain.  

We’ve been here before. In 2022/23, when we saw sharp rises in energy costs, many growers told us their buyers were either refusing to entertain CPI (cost price increase) discussions at all or were using multiple tactics to delay or undermine the members’ arguments. 

The result? A decline in production and a period of empty shelves of core salad items. 

The Groceries Code Adjudicator created the 7 golden rules to put a marker in the sand for how CPI requests should be managed and dealt with by buyers, but we’re being told by many members that buyer behaviour is mostly unchanged.  

The recent GCA annual survey indicates an increase in ‘refusal or unreasonable delays in agreeing CPIs’, although only by one percentage point. I suspect if the survey were run again now, those figures would change again.

Real change needed

In recent years, we have started to see more long-term contracts agreed with UK growers across the retail supply chain which can and should be a good thing for the future of our sector.  

But we continue to hear time and time again that the actions of buyers do not always reflect the corporate headlines.  

As the NFU has consistently called for, the 7 golden rules must now be embedded within the GSCOP (Groceries Supply Code of Practice) so that the adjudicator can turn their watchful eye into more meaningful action.  

Only then will real change occur. 

“Of course, taking them to the show is also fantastic, seeing the public and especially the kids love them, is a real high. They attract a lot of people as they are just lovely, pretty sheep and look like big teddy bears.”

1. Patience is key

While Bizza says it can be difficult if the judge on the day isn’t favourable of her sheep, the main thing and what is brilliant about county shows is that they increase awareness of the breed.

“I’ve learned a lot from showing,” she says. “Patience being one thing! There are people who have been showing these guys for 30 years or more and I’m only a few years in, there is so much to know and year on year, show after show, you always learn something else.

2. Learn from experience

“I’ve heard, unfortunately, with some of the other breeds it can be really competitive, but with these guys it’s not the case at all.

“I was actually getting ready for my class with one of my ewes at my first show, just pulling some straw out of her fleece, and the guy in the pen next to me told me a trick was to put baby oil on their faces to make the black shine and handed me some. He was willing to help me, which is really nice, because a lot of breeds don’t do that.”

3. To shear or not to shear

Bizza was part of the NFU’s Student and Young Farmer Ambassador programme, and now hosts the NFU’s podcast, Shed Talks.

4. Plan ahead

After taking home the champion longwool prize at Moreton Show in 2024 with her homebred ewe Dotty, Bizza says she’ll continue to breed and show, and explains the ram lambs have to be inspected to see if they can go on to become breeding rams in the future.

“I had my first one pass last October which was amazing. He’s gone off to a lady in Ipswich for her daughter to show, he’s doing his first shows this year and we keep in touch, which is lovely. I’d like to continue breeding rams to pass inspection, but I’m building numbers up slowly. It’s nice to breed my own ewe replacements while swapping the tup in and out.”

5. ‘Go out and do it’

For anyone contemplating showing, Bizza encourages everyone to give it a go. “It’s such a cliché, but just go out and do it,” she says.

“I had no idea about showing. I entered Staffordshire and I just rocked up and everyone was so friendly and so helpful. Everyone in the association was amazing and we were having tea and biscuits and wine in the pens. We had so much fun and I met so many people.

“Even if you don’t show, just go along and have a chat and ask someone for advice. People will be willing to help because we need to get the younger generation in the ring.”

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While farmers and growers are making real improvements in this area, they cannot work on this alone – progress also depends on support from the government and the wider supply chain.

Government must help farms adapt now

NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said that the report makes clear “that farming has becoming increasingly challenging in the UK – changing weather patterns are already hitting yields, farm incomes and long-term business confidence”.

This has not been helped by growing geopolitical uncertainty, the Deputy President added, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East leading to rising costs for fuel, fertiliser and energy.

“We welcome the CCC’s recognition of how extreme weather impacts farming and agree that we can still grow domestic food production, but only if the government helps farming adapt now.

“That means backing on farm water storage, dynamic water abstraction, soil resilience, lowering disease prevalence and removing barriers to growth.
 
“This report emphasises our long-term ask that the government must continue to work hand-in-hand with farmers to target investment in adaption as well as food production and the environment so our members can continue to produce food in a changing climate.”

CCC calls for food production target and more support for farmers

Understanding the risks to food security, keeping farming viable, avoiding water shortages and managing flood risk are among the eight key areas the CCC has said require government action.

The committee calls for farmers to be given support with the skills, information and training they need to make climate-resilient decisions.

It also says long-term investment in flood defences is ‘essential’, and says annual flood risk investment should rise to around £1.6–£2.2 billion each year.

The CCC is calling for the introduction of a food production target as a proxy for adaptation of the sector. This would be based on the current 60% volume of domestic food production and should be at least maintained going forward.

Following engagement with the NFU throughout the past year, the committee is also calling on the government to ease regulatory barriers that make adaptation more difficult, namely installation of on-farm reservoirs for improved water security.

Read the report in full at: CCC.org.uk | A Well-Adapted UK.

‘Good news’

Responding to the news, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, we have consistently raised the inflationary pressures facing farmers and growers with the government including in recent meetings with Defra ministers.  

“The government’s decision to scrap the planned rise in fuel duty is good news, and the cut to red diesel duty is a welcome, well-targeted measure.

“There are further steps the government could take going forward, such as reversing electricity standing charge increases and delaying CBAM, to help ease production cost pressures for farmers and growers and curb inflation across the food supply chain.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the government was “stepping in to keep fuel costs down for millions of drivers and putting money back in the pockets of working people”.

Road tax news for hauliers

Hauliers will also get a 12-month road tax holiday to help keep costs down – this will in turn help with getting raw materials onto farms and produce into supply chains with the poultry sector having been particularly affected by increased costs associated with specialist bird movements.

Keep track of our lobbying work on rising costs via our timeline.

The President appeared in front of Peers during an evidence session for the House of Lords European Affairs Committee discussing the government’s intention to ‘dynamically align’ with certain EU legislation under a prospective SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) agreement. 

Dynamic alignment means that both parties operate from a single rule book for certain areas of legislation. Under the terms of the agreement currently being negotiated, this will be the EU rule book, and Great Britain will align with both current and future relevant EU legislation.

Asked about the potential economic impacts of the proposed agreement, Tom noted the importance of the EU market for British agriculture. He stated that, in 2025, the bloc was responsible for 68% of our agri-food exports and 69% of our agri-food imports by value.

However, Tom added, the sector’s exports to the continent have fallen since 2019, in part because of the introduction of post-Brexit certification requirements and routine border checks. 

While the removal of these checks and certificates would benefit horticultural growers importing young plants and could help rebuild the market for British agricultural products in Europe, Tom noted that it would take time to rebuild demand for British produce and supply chains within the EU.

The NFU continues to champion the UK’s network of agri-food attachés who work to open up new markets and bring down barriers for British agri-food products in Europe and around the world.

Importance of transitional arrangements 

Baroness Ashton of Upholland asked what steps need to be taken before all issues associated with realignment with the EU would be delt with. Tom said ensuring that farmers and growers have sufficient time to adapt to EU legislation, particularly in areas where rules in GB have diverged from those in the EU since Brexit, remained a vital issue. 

Tom raised the importance of ensuring that farmers are given sufficient time to adapt to EU PPP (Plant Protection Product) legislation. In particular, he highlighted the need to ensure that farmers are given sufficient time to use up any products they may already have on farm that may no longer be approved in the EU and the importance of ensuring that crops grown with these PPPs continue to be legal to sell after harvest. 

The NFU has been lobbying for a ‘variable pace transition period’ which would see GB align with EU legislation in a phased approach, with farming and growing businesses given more time to adapt to those areas of EU legislation that differ most significantly from the current rules in GB.

Risks of the SPS agreement

Tom also explained the NFU’s ask for an exception to dynamic alignment, or carve out, for the Precision Breeding Act (2025) in England to allow farmers and growers to continue to benefit from world-leading British research. 

British influence and parliamentary scrutiny

The President went on to explain the importance of securing meaningful influence upon EU decisions and the legislation that will apply to producers in GB under the SPS agreement. 

He urged the government to ensure that their experts, scientists, diplomats, negotiators and regulators are all ready to be involved in EU decision making at earliest possible opportunity to ensure that rules that are currently under discussion in the EU properly reflect the needs of British farmers and growers.

Tom also highlighted the need for the effective consultation mechanisms to enable industry stakeholders and the UK and devolved parliament to influence the government’s approach to influencing future EU legislation. 

He went on to say that the government should ensure that proposed EU legislative changes are properly scrutinised by Parliament and that, in the event of a disagreement between the EU and UK Government, the agreement should ensure that there is a genuinely meaningful process of arbitration. In the case of serious and exceptional disagreements the UK Parliament must, Tom said, have the ability to withhold consent and act as a ‘backstop’ to protect the UK’s national interest.

We continue to make representation of our members’ interests with the negotiators and MPs, having just submitted our concerns and priorities in the UK-EU negotiations with the House of Commons Trade and Business Committee.

‘Government has listened to our concerns’

Responding to the news of the UK-GCC trade deal, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “The trade deals agreed in recent years have been a mixed bag to say the least, with limited benefit for UK farm businesses. But I’m really pleased the government has listened to our concerns and ensured we can take advantage of the strong demand in the GCC for things like lamb, cheese and oats – securing greater access for high quality British goods while safeguarding our pork, chicken and egg sectors.

“The main area of jeopardy in this deal was around animal welfare standards, which in GCC countries often fall below our own. It will be a relief to farmers and the public that the government has held firm on its promise to safeguard Britain’s high food production standards.”

However, Tom highlighted that concerns remain about other ongoing trade negotiations and reiterated the need for government to develop a set of core production standards which all imports would be required to meet.

He said: “This was a well negotiated deal, but we’re under no illusions that other countries – whose standards may fail to meet our own – will push hard for greater access to our market. This is a real concern for both farmers and the public who understandably believe their food should be produced with animal welfare and environmental protection at its core.

“Establishing core standards as a baseline would reassure farmers and growers that the high standards they uphold won’t be undermined and give the public confidence that whatever they pick up from the supermarket or order from a restaurant has been produced in line with their values.”