Changes to the agricultural sector following Brexit have been poorly received by English farmers, with many confused by “contradictory” policies.
NFU president tells conference ministers have no understanding of how food production works. / Food producers have said the challenges they face are “the toughest in a generation” as members of the National Farmers’ Union met for their annual conference after the first full year of Brexit.
Farmers sound alarm as more than 40,000 pigs are culled and meat thrown away due to Brexit and pandemic
22/02/2022
An estimated 200,000 pigs are backed up on farms because of a lack of skilled butchers to process them, while 40,000 animals have already been culled and their meat thrown away, farmers said this morning.
Talk at this week’s NFU conference will be alive with financial, labour and competition concerns.
Pig farmers are in a “desperate” position – with culls of thousands of healthy animals and producers quitting the industry, they warned as a summit was held on the crisis.
Minette Batters: ‘I feared farmers would be used as a pawn in trade deals – and that’s what happened’
29/01/2022
The NFU president has been dismayed by the government’s post-Brexit deals, but has vowed to fight on for British producers
Minette Batters decries trade deal with Australia and New Zealand. / The president of the National Farmers’ Union has accused the government of using British food producers as a “pawn” in post-Brexit trade deals.
Minette Batters Interview: The Farming Industry Has Been Ignored Over Post-Brexit Trade Deals
10/01/2022
From driving a tractor to driving government policy, NFU chief Minette Batters talks about the many challenges facing farming.
Government scheme to replace EU agricultural payments fuelled by ‘blind optimism’ and still lacking crucial details, say MPs.
Fears for farmers and anger over dropping of pledge to bind Australia to crucial climate temperature limit.
Senior Tory MP warns Brexit ‘destroying’ British agriculture and condemns government failure to act
15/12/2021
A furious Neil Parish laid into Kevin Foster, the immigration minister, for ignoring a recommendation to make it easier to bring in EU butchers and other workers – leading to a huge shortage.
Senior Tory MP warns Brexit ‘destroying’ British agriculture and condemns government failure to act
14/12/2021
Minister under fire for rejecting moves to bring in EU farm workers – as vegetable planting plunges 25%.
Ruptures have once again emerged across government over the direction of the UK’s post-Brexit trade policy, with environment secretary George Eustice raising concerns about a potential deal with India.
With fellow Europeans leaving the UK, and no British workers taking their place, Eleanor Popa’s job harvesting strawberries has gone from tough to tough and lonely. Will the farm survive another year?
Britain's turkey farmers will do their best to ensure Christmas "is as normal as it can be" but shortages are likely, an industry representative has warned.
Many Brits will be forced to go without a Christmas turkey this year because of Brexit labour shortages, MPs were told this afternoon.
Farmers have warned of "huge downsides" to Boris Johnson's new trade deal with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Lord Debden says agreement ‘completely at odds with everything the government has promised’.
‘Groundbreaking’ agreement criticised by UK farmers is part of 10-year plan to pivot to Indo-Pacific
Pig farmers are facing a "human disaster" due to a shortage of abattoir workers, the National Farmer's Union has said.
Unprecedented labour shortages have left hundreds of tonnes of produce rotting in the fields.
A dairy farmer said he was told to dump his milk after a shortage of lorry drivers meant it could not be collected.
The end of the holiday season heralds the return to centre stage of a number of burning Brexit-related issues this autumn.
The UK left the EU at the end of 2020, and according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, Brexit has already led to a significant slump in trade between the EU and the UK... / Brexit supporters endorsed the idea of CANZUK – an alliance between the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The UK’s trade agreement with Australia led to British farmers and associations voicing concerns about unfair competition and a lowering of food standards.