UK at risk of sleepwalking into food supply crisis, says Farmers Union

UK farmers warn government risks 'sleepwalking' into food supply crisis unless it provides urgent support to those struggling soaring costs of the “three fs”: fuel, feed and fertilizer.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has said the egg shortage could spread to other food products as UK fruit and vegetable growers and Meat and dairy producers are under pressure from soaring energy and feed costs, combined with the challenge of finding enough staff.

Energy-intensive crops including tomatoes, cucumbers and pears are on track for their lowest yields since records began in 1985, the NFU said, as growers quit farming in the face of rising costs. NFU President Minette Batters told reporters, warning that greater reliance on food imports could drive up prices even further.

She said the national horticulture sector is "contracting", while milk prices are expected to fall below the cost of production and cattle farmers decide to reduce their herds.

Farmers face rising costs since outbreak of war in Ukraine, NFU says, as fertilizer prices have tripled since 2019, in addition to a six-fold increase in fertilizer prices big gas prices.The NFU said the UK had lost around 7,000 farming businesses since 2019.

Drummers called for more fairness and transparency in the food supply chain to help farmers: production, and this is p share this cost equitably throughout the supply chain. At the moment, you have all the costs, all the risks that fall on the primary producer. due to labor shortages, ripe fruits and vegetables left to rot, and calls on the government to allow an additional 15,000 seasonal workers to come from overseas to help pick.

Currently, 40,000 six-month visas are available each year, the vast majority for horticulture. Of these permits, 2,000 are intended to staff the poultry sector during the Christmas rush.

“Under the current circumstances, many [producers] will unfortunately go bankrupt and leave the industry. ", said Julian Marks, managing director of West Sussex-based producer Barfoots.

"There is still confusion as to whether we will have a main- adequate seasonal labor for 2023, and that is for crops where we have committed land, seeds, fertilizers and other inputs, we have spent that money,” he said. richLink" data-spacefinder-type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement" class="dcr-1mfia18"/>

The NFU press conference took place after the meeting of the Agriculture Minister Mark Spencer with representatives from the egg sector, including growers, packers and retailers, to discuss the challenges facing the industry.

The NFU calls for an inv estigation into the need to declare 'exceptional market conditions' after the disruption in egg production, which was exacerbated by the UK's worst bird flu outbreak.

Such a decision will enable the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to provide support to egg producers facing financial difficulties.

A government spokesman said the UK food chain was "tr resilient" and food security was based on "supply from diverse sources: strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes".

The carrier Word said the government is in regular contact with the food and agricultural industries and has continued to "take all necessary steps to ensure that people across the country have the food they need." packer