Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Twitter LinkedIn
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    • News
      • Arable & Agronomy
      • Dealership News
      • Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy
      • Event News
      • Health & Safety
      • Machinery
      • People
      • World News
    • Farm Machinery
      • Amenity & Maintenance
      • Cultivations
      • Drilling
      • Grassland Equipment
      • Harvesting
      • Muck & Slurry
      • Sprayers
      • Telehandlers
      • Tractors
      • Tractor of the Year
      • Tyres & Tracks
      • Whatever happened to?
    • Precision Farming
    • Markets & Policy
    • Profiles
      • National Arable and Grassland Awards
      • Company Profiles
      • Reader Profiles
    • Livestock
      • Beef
      • Dairy
      • Sheep
    • Magazines
      1. June 2025 issue
      2. May 2025 issue
      3. April 2025 issue
      4. March 2025 issue
      5. 2025 Tyre Developments supplement
      6. February 2025 issue
      7. National Arable and Grassland Awards supplement
      8. January 2025 issue
      9. December 2024 issue
      10. November 2024 issue
      11. October 2024 issue
      12. September 2024 issue
      13. August 2024 Issue
      14. 2024 Drills and Seeds supplement
      15. July 2024 Issue
      16. Cereals Supplement
      17. June 2024 Issue
      18. May 2024 Issue
      19. April 2024 Issue
      20. Tyres and Tracks Supplement
      21. March 2024 Issue
      22. National Arable & Grassland Award – Meet the Finalists
      23. February 2024 Issue
      24. January 2024 Issue
      25. December 2023
      26. Agritechnica Preview Supplement
      27. November 2023
      28. October 2023
      Featured

      June 2025 issue available now

      By Matthew TiltJune 2, 2025
      Recent

      June 2025 issue available now

      June 2, 2025

      May 2025 issue available now

      May 1, 2025

      April 2025 issue available now

      April 1, 2025
    • Events
    • Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy

    NFU calls for stability for food producers in Spring Budget

    Matthew TiltBy Matthew TiltFebruary 28, 20243 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw
    NFU President Tom Bradshaw

    In a letter to the Chancellor ahead of the Spring Budget, the NFU has called for support to enable farm businesses to deal with volatility and build stability, and ensure that the sector can invest and continue to deliver for food security, as well as environmental and productivity needs.

    Some of the NFU’s asks of the Treasury include:

    • To ensure the Environment Agency is funded to prioritise essential maintenance of flood defences and watercourses.
    • To extend the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) to include the poultry sector.
    • To introduce enhanced capital allowances to incentivise investment in a range of low-carbon capital investments.
    • To confirm a further round of the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) to help farming businesses deliver diversification projects.
    • To work on developing a future agriculture budget structured around environment, productivity and stability. 
    • To amend inheritance tax agricultural relief to ensure that all agricultural land entered into the Environmental Land Management schemes continues to qualify.

    These highlight the opportunity to incentivise green investment in the industry to help meet the legislated net zero target, as well as addressing high production costs, the impact of flooding and providing certainty for domestic food production.

    NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “In a time of much change it is vital that our country’s food producers have the business confidence to continue producing climate-friendly, nutritious food long-term. That is why we have written to the Chancellor ahead of the budget to outline the key policies needed to help UK farmers and growers through some pressing and ongoing challenges.

    “With on-farm input costs up 32% from 2019, more regular and severe weather events causing devastating flooding and crop losses, and with at least a 50% reduction in direct farm payment support due in 2024, our food producing businesses are facing a challenging economic backdrop.

    “First and foremost, farms are businesses there to produce food for the nation. Without profitability built into farm businesses to create some certainty ahead, it is very difficult for farmers and growers to invest in the future. But fundamentally this is exactly what they must do to if we are to secure food production to feed people both here and for growing markets overseas.

    “As the UK’s largest manufacturing sector2, worth more than £120 billion to the nation’s economy, the Chancellor has an opportunity to take actions that will boost business confidence in the UK’s food and farming industry. By enhancing capital allowances to incentivise green investment, ensuring the Environment Agency is properly funded to limit flooding and developing a future agricultural budget he will be able to ensure the UK farming industry is a resilient and sustainable sector for years to come.”

    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    Pin
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleRed Tractor awarded strong data governance certification
    Next Article AHDB Eat Like a Lioness wins an award for “Best Marketing Campaign”
    Matthew Tilt
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn

    Machinery editor for Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer. Matt has worked as an agricultural machinery journalist for five years, following time spent in his family’s Worcestershire contracting business. When he’s not driving or writing about the latest farm equipment, he can be found in his local cinema, or with his headphones in, reading a good book.

    Read Similar Stories

    Industry responds to government spending review

    June 11, 2025

    Hutchinsons invites farmers to see Omnia in action at Cereals

    May 26, 2025

    New report shows benefits of reducing bare soil

    April 4, 2025
    Most Read Stories

    New Kverneland dealer for Orkney and Shetland Isles

    June 18, 2025

    Kuhn to highlight potential cost savings at Groundswell

    June 18, 2025

    Urgent action on rural crime needed as collaboration shows promising results

    June 18, 2025
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

    The UK's leading agricultural machinery journal

    Twitter LinkedIn
    © 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

    Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • Farmers Weekly
    • AA Farmer
    • Poultry News
    • Pig World

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.