From the editor: Ministers need to focus if farming is to hit top gear

Getting Jeremy Clarkson on board to drive home the ’back British farming’ message was a PR-savvy move by the NFU, securing, as it did, coverage in the national press and causing a buzz on social media.

Ben Briggs
Ben Briggs is the group publisher and editor in chief of Agriconnect, overseeing the media business and titles such as Farmers Guardian, Dairy Farmer and Arable Farming.
clock • 2 min read
From the editor: Ministers need to focus if farming is to hit top gear

Getting Jeremy Clarkson on board to drive home the 'back British farming' message was a PR-savvy move by the NFU, securing, as it did, coverage in the national press and causing a buzz on social media.

Reiterating many of the messages the union, other representative groups and, dare I say, even Farmers Guardian has voiced in recent years about the future of the industry, Mr Clarkson certainly has the ear of a certain section of the public.

Whether he was reinforcing the need to buy British, or the challenges faced by young farmers trying to get a foot on the ladder due to lack of available land, he adopted a thankfully common sense and pragmatic approach.

But whether he helps the industry's cause once the media buzz dies away will be another thing, especially with a Westminster Government which seems to flip flop when it comes to policy and the practical realities within different industry sectors.

The NFU is right to reinforce the need for greater resilience in terms of food production, especially with self sufficiency dropping to around 60 per cent. But given the current challenges the industry faces around workforce and wider supply chain resilience, for example the impact haulage problems are having, there are wider structural problems at play which are not being properly addressed by Ministers.

This is causing increasing concern because, while the NFU should be ambitious in its view for British agriculture and call for people to back the farming sector, it seems the growing economic pressures brought about by Brexit are presenting serious hurdles which need to be overcome in the first instance.

Maybe the images of empty retail shelves, alongside food price inflation, will focus minds in Government, but the current supply chain challenges and lack of available labour need quickly addressing, otherwise the wider aspirations for agriculture will never get the attention they deserve.

2001 case MX 170

2001 case MX 170

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

2017, CASEIH FARMALL 75C

2017, CASEIH FARMALL 75C

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

2019, CASEIH PUMA 200

2019, CASEIH PUMA 200

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

More on Farm Life

Pygmy goats, pigs and pumpkins – multiple enterprises vital to success of new entrants

Pygmy goats, pigs and pumpkins – multiple enterprises vital to success of new entrants

Positivity is key to the approach taken by Matt Brooks and Laura Pollock as they take their first steps on the farming ladder in Monmouthshire

clock 16 January 2025 • 7 min read
National Trust celebrates 130 years

National Trust celebrates 130 years

The organisation has launched a new 10-year strategy to ‘ramp up' its efforts to address the climate and nature crises

Rachael Brown
clock 13 January 2025 • 1 min read
Octogenarian butcher celebrates 70th year in trade - and social media loves it

Octogenarian butcher celebrates 70th year in trade - and social media loves it

Northumberland master butcher Alan Green has just celebrated his 70th Christmas providing delicious red meat to his customers in Northumberland

clock 12 January 2025 • 2 min read