NFU: Agricultural land needs extreme weather protection

Extreme weather events like those experienced around the world in recent months have shown the importance of ensuring everything is done to protect agricultural land and enable farmers to meet future food production challenges, NFU President Peter Kendall will tell MPs today (Wednesday).

Giving evidence at the Efra Select Committee on food security, Mr Kendall will say that British farming is well placed to meet the challenge of increasing food production but the whole of the food industry has to work together to ensure it can maximise its potential.

“Britain’s soils, seasonality and climate give us the natural ingredients for a productive farming sector both now and in the medium term as our climate becomes more unpredictable. But investment in science and knowledge transfer will be vital in helping us capitalise on these natural advantages and enabling UK farming to maximise its food producing potential.

“We also need to create a positive legislative environment supporting the agri-food sector so farmers have the confidence to invest and can deal with unpredictable weather patterns, market volatility and any price fluctuations that may result,” Mr Kendall will say.

“The whole of the food chain needs to work together to ensure agricultural policy and regulation is working towards these goals. Shorter supply chains, fairer distribution of margin, better information sharing across food businesses and a joined up approach to managing volatility and risk will give farmers the confidence to invest in their businesses and help safeguard the longer term resilience of UK food production.

“We know more and more British consumers want to buy high quality British food produced to high standards of welfare and food safety. It is vital that everything is done to ensure farmers are in a position to meet this demand now and as it grows in the future.”

The NFU in the South West is appealing to the rural community in other parts of the UK not to set off on fodder ‘treks’ to help flood-stricken farmers and their stock in the region, but rather  to pledge offers of fodder feed and straw by calling the South West NFU office.

“The response from the farming community both locally and from the farthest reaches of the UK has been magnificent and huge thanks to everyone for their support” says NFU regional director Melanie Squires
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“We fully understand and appreciate people’s desire to pitch in immediately with practical help when they see the heart-breaking pictures of colleagues and their animals up to their waists in water. But the situation is under control in the short term with livestock safe and feed and bedding currently available.

“What we now need are the pledges of fodder or straw, rather than the actual deliveries, so that we can call upon people’s generosity as and when it is required over the coming weeks and months, when the waters finally abate and farmers return to face a fetid swamp no use to man nor beast rather than the fertile fields they had so painstakingly established, often over generations, supporting both food production and wildlife.

“Anyone who wants to provide fodder and bedding should contact us via south.west@nfu.org.uk (01392 440700) so we can log all the offers and match them up with those in need when that need arises.”

Anyone wishing to donate cash to organisations providing immediate succour in the most acute cases and support in the longer term should contact:

The Farm Community Network (FCN) whose volunteers provide practical and emotional support to farmers and farming families affected by severe flooding and in the longer term will also be able to help stand alongside people needing business support.

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), which can support farming families in Somerset and elsewhere in England and Wales by giving grants from its Emergency Fund to meet the domestic costs of badly affected farmers with no savings to fall back on.

The Addington Fund which can support farming businesses by making a contribution towards haulage costs so there is no hold up in getting vital supplies through.

Money donated to the three farming charities will be used for the work of the charities as they support Somerset farmers and donations may be made via:
http://www.justgiving.com/fcn/donate
http://www.justgiving.com/rabi/
http://www.justgiving.com/theaddingtonfund

Donations can also be made to the Royal Bath and West Show Society (http://www.bathandwest.com/somersetlevels/258/) and the Somerset Levels Relief Fund  http://www.justgiving.com/Somerset-Levels-Relief-Fund  which are raising money towards water management and for individual/bespoke support respectively.

All the organisations thank sincerely on behalf of those affected so catastrophically the many generous donors of money and practical assistance.