The Nationwide Farmers’ Union (NFU) and NFU Scotland joined farming unions from throughout the UK at ‘Again British Farming’ Day in Westminster on thirteenth September, the eighth annual celebration of the farming trade’s function in producing British foods and drinks.
The celebrations began in Westminster with a breakfast reception on the Home of Commons. Greater than 100 MPs got a wheatsheaf pin badge, now an emblem of the day, to put on throughout PM’s Questions to indicate their help.
NFU Scotland’s delegation of chief govt John Davidson and director of coverage Jonnie Corridor additionally met with MPs from all events as they thanked the general public for his or her overwhelming help and recognition of the function the trade performs in feeding the nation and caring for the atmosphere.
The Union mentioned that it believes help and funding in farmers and crofters is “essential to make sure our meals safety, promote a affluent financial system, reply to the local weather problem and assist biodiversity recuperate and flourish.”
It’s also trying to the UK Authorities to progress the backing supplied to the trade by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP at his inaugural ‘Farm to Fork’ summit in Downing Avenue in Could, attended by NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy, the place meals safety issues had been seen as a precedence.
NFU president Minette Batters mentioned: “Britain’s farmers and growers are actually inspirational, and it’s heart-warming to know the general public actually worth the work we do in producing incredible homegrown meals. This meals underpins the British meals and farming sector and is price greater than £100 billion to the nationwide financial system, all whereas defending and enhancing our iconic landscapes.”
Following a survey, NFU concluded that the British public considered farming as some of the vital and well-respected professions, second solely to nursing. Moreover, 87% of respondents help growing self-sufficiency in UK meals manufacturing.
“As these survey outcomes present, the general public actually recognize what Britain’s farmers and growers do day-in, day-out. 90% of the general public really feel farming is vital to the UK financial system whereas 81% agreed that British farms ought to develop as a lot meals as they will to supply nationwide meals safety.
“We actually have a number of the most forward-thinking, productive and progressive farmers and growers working throughout our sector. Regardless of the challenges being confronted by everybody this yr, we’re nonetheless doing what we do finest – producing nice tasting British meals. On this Again British Farming Day, we recognize this public help greater than ever and wish to say an enormous thanks to everybody.”
“We actually have a number of the most forward-thinking, productive and progressive farmers and growers working throughout our sector.”
Minette Batters, NFU president.
The #BuyBritishButton petition
The Scottish department of the Union is supporting NFU’s #BuyBritishButton petition, calling on these supermarkets with on-line foods and drinks purchasing so as to add a ‘Purchase Scottish’ and/or a ‘Purchase British’ tab on their web sites. This can it make it simpler for customers to decide on homegrown produce when doing an internet grocery store, NFU Scotland mentioned.
NFU president Minette Batters added: “The general public backs our requires Authorities to prioritise homegrown meals manufacturing and legislate to make sure the UK’s self-sufficiency doesn’t drop under its present degree of 60%.
“We’ve had all the pieces thrown at us over the previous 18 months – hovering manufacturing prices, international market instability attributable to the continuing conflict in Ukraine, excessive bouts of climate and important delays to farm funds. The empty cabinets we’ve seen this yr converse for themselves; we must be producing extra of our meals right here.
“Now could be the time to make sure these insurance policies are in place to help the manufacturing of high quality, local weather pleasant, homegrown meals. As we’ve mentioned earlier than, Authorities has statutory targets for the atmosphere – why can’t meals manufacturing have the identical standing?
“Basically, investing in home meals manufacturing means we are able to improve our productiveness, create extra jobs and ship way more for the financial system and for the atmosphere.
“We all know we’ve got enormous public help – we now simply want our flesh pressers to additionally again British farming like by no means earlier than.”
“It’s incredible to affix in a celebration the place each the general public and politicians recognise and worth the contribution of farmers and crofters.”
John Davidson, chief govt of NFU Scotland.
In a latest letter to Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf MSP, NFU Scotland known as on the Scottish Authorities to make sure the Good Meals Nation (Scotland) Act delivers for Scottish agriculture and the broader foods and drinks sector by the dedication to a ‘Scottish First’ coverage for native sourcing within the forthcoming Nationwide Meals Plan. Retailer help in Scotland for an internet ‘Scottish’ button for Scottish produce would construct on that and assist develop gross sales of native produce.
John Davidson of NFU mentioned: “With foods and drinks manufacturing throughout the nation contributing greater than £100 billion to the nationwide financial system, it’s incredible to affix in a celebration the place each the general public and politicians recognise and worth the contribution of farmers and crofters.
“As a part of at this time’s celebration, we very a lot welcome the petition led by NFU that seeks to stimulate extra native sourcing by making it simpler for the rising variety of customers who select to do their grocery purchasing on-line to purchase native.”
Davidson added: “Our latest letter to the First Minister, the place we requested for a ‘Scottish First’ coverage to be adopted, builds on our long run asks the place we wish to collaborate extra intently with retailers and people concerned in public procurement in Scotland to additional help our farmers, crofters, atmosphere and, in the end, our financial system.”
This comes because the Agriculture and Horticulture Improvement Board (AHDB) introduced that it will likely be utilizing the time period ‘British’ in its advertising marketing campaign for the primary time.
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