PM pledges support for farming at NFU Conference

Tom Lancaster is available for interview

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By George Smeeton

info@eciu.net

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Commenting on a speech Rishi Sunak is set to deliver to the National Farmers’ Union conference on Tuesday, Tom Lancaster, land analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said:

“The prime minister is right not to take food security for granted. From devastating droughts across Europe to floods in the UK this winter, climate change is already hitting food production and prices, with hundreds of pounds added to the average household food bill over the last two years. [1]

“And with British farmers paying nearly £1.5 billion extra on their fertiliser bill since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine because chemical fertilisers depend on gas [2], soaring costs are pushing farmers to find alternatives as fast as they can. The prime minister’s new farming schemes will give farmers the tools they need to farm more sustainably, reducing our reliance on imported fertilisers by improving soil health, and making farming in the UK more resilient in the face of escalating climate impacts.” [3]

Notes to editors:

  1. Research commissioned by ECIU shows that the average UK food bill went up by around £605 over the last two years, as climate and energy costs hit shoppers: https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2023/families-hit-by-605-food-bill-as-extreme-weather-and-energy-crisis-bites
  2. ECIU analysis found that British farmers have been hit by additional fertiliser costs of £1.45 billion since the Russian invasion of Ukraine: https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2024/british-farmers-hit-by-1-4-billion-fertiliser-bill-since-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-with-costs-set-to-stay-high
  3. Survey: Extreme weather and high input costs take toll on farming: https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/2023-extreme-weather-and-high-input-costs-take-toll-on-farming

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net