Our work behind the scenes ensures the voices of farmers and growers are heard loud and clear by the public, politicians and key decision-makers.
Catch up on where you, our members, have featured in the news, where we've been, what we've said and how the media is helping push farming up the agenda.
You can also keep up to date with all of our activity by following us on X (formerly Twitter) @NFUPress.
Quote of the week
“The government has got to make farmers and rural communities feel valued, and at the moment farmers don’t know where the goalposts are. Does domestic food production matter to the government or not?”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw discussing the government’s relationship with farmers
Oxford Farming Conference
NFU President Tom Bradshaw featured on Sky News’ Mornings with Jones and Melbourne responding to Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds’ speech at the Oxford Farming Conference, which announced SFI reforms and confirmed there will be no further changes to the family farm tax.
He welcomed the government’s inheritance tax threshold increase, but stressed that the NFU will continue to push for further changes at the next political opportunity.
Tom’s reaction was widely covered by the Financial Times, The Guardian (plus the paper’s live political reporting), The Telegraph, GB News and BBC online.
And finally, Tom also featured on the latest Farmers Guardian (22:04) podcast episode, recorded at Oxford, discussing the family farm tax and his hopes for 2026. He also appeared on the Farmers Weekly podcast, in a special episode of its Question Time panel at the conference.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw on Sky News
Tom Bradshaw on the Farmers Guardian podcast
NFU Dairy Board Chair Paul Tompkins on BBC Radio 5 Live
The family farm tax
Outside of Oxford, the Political Currency podcast (43:13) discussed the family farm tax threshold increase, revisiting a question Tom Bradshaw submitted to the podcast before Christmas about the policy. The Times and the Independent highlight the policy change following Tom’s meeting with the Prime Minister in articles on government u-turns, while The Guardian and the Financial Times also referenced it on their front pages alongside reports of a likely hospitality tax reversal.
The Daily Express featured NFU Cymru Crops and Horticulture Board Chair Tom Rees, who welcomed the threshold increase for making his family’s inheritance tax bill more manageable.
And finally...
Tom Bradshaw giving evidence to the Business and Trade Committee on EU relations featured in The Guardian, where he highlighted the complexities of differing UK–EU rules on mycotoxin levels in oats. The Times also examined EU trade talks and their impact on precision breeding, quoting NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos who urged the government to seek an exception for the Precision Breeding Act.
NFU Dairy Board Chair Paul Tompkins was interviewed by Sean Farrington on the Radio 5 Live show Wake Up To Money (19:50) discussing the impact the drop in milk prices is having on dairy farmers across the UK.
In The Telegraph, NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton discussed pressures on the beef sector, political uncertainty and the need for fair returns. Norfolk member James Runciman is also quoted explaining the impact last year’s unpredictable weather had on farmers’ feed supplies.
And finally, Wiltshire member Chris Reynolds explained why he left his office job to open a vineyard in a profile feature for iNews.
Tell your story
If you've been affected by any of the issues covered in the news this week and want to share your story, contact our press and editorial teams.
Email: [email protected]
Or contact our press team below:
Lucy Wood
NFU Press Officer