NFU media coverage: Domestic Agriculture

August

Minette on BBC Radio 4

She appeared on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours (33 mins) to discuss the Farmer Favourability Survey and the growing demand for British food and later appeared live on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions to answer questions about rural crime, trade deals, and how to keep going in the face of failure. 

Beaver reintroduction

The Sunday Telegraph was the first to speculate about beaver reintroduction as they suggested landowners living near farmers with croplands could be denied licences to let beavers into the wild due to flooding concerns. The article quoted the NFU.

As the month continued NFU environment forum chair Richard Bramley was interviewed for BBC Farming Today (4 mins), where he shared his thoughts on what the criteria should be to ensure beavers are reintroduced to the correct environment. The following day the official announcement came from Defra that they were commencing a consultation period for beaver reintroduction and Richard recorded an interview for BBC Breakfast.

Earlier in the month the topic of species reintroduction was spoken about more widely as the Guardian delved into the benefits and challenges of reintroducting lynx into the wild in the UK. NFU North East environment and land use adviser James Copeland was quoted in the piece discussing the need for more evidence and information to address farmers' concerns. 

NFU environment forum member Phil Jarvis was also quoted in a Times article that discussed similar issues.

Rural connectivity

NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts recorded a piece for LBC News about the plans to roll out a £5bn broadband upgrade to rural areas. The clip was broadcast throughout the day across LBC.

Animal Welfare Bill

The Sunday Times mentioned the NFU on its 'Corrections & clarifications' page saying its happy to acknowledge that the NFU is broadly supportive of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. 

2020

July

The Sunday Times profiled NFU President Minette Batters, giving her a platform to talk about food standards, US trade deals and Brexit.

The Financial Times reported the concerns from farmers in England over the removal of subsidies during the transition to a new domestic agricultural policy. NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw is quoted emphasising that it is pivotal that new schemes should underline that farming and food production go hand in hand with environmental delivery.

March

The Sunday Telegraph reported a warning from the NFU that farmers could miss out on subsidies because the government is failing to log their land as ecologically valuable. NFU senior countryside adviser Claire Robinson is quoted emphasising that future schemes need to be designed with flexibility built in to deal with new evidence and local circumstances on the ground.

February

Government announcement on subsidy cuts

The i paper covered the announcement and featured comments from NFU President Minette Batters, NFU environment forum member Richard Bramley and livestock board member Andrew Loftus.

Read the full article here.

In the Financial Times, Mrs Batters highlighted the dangers of going into regime of public money for public goods when the UK's trading situation is still uncertain.

Click here to read the article in full.

January

NFU response to Agriculture Bill 

The NFU featured widely across national media after the publication of the Agriculture Bill.

Channel 4 News interviewed NFU director of EU exit and international trade Nick Von Westenholz where he said the Bill recognises that there needs to be a balance between supporting farmers as food producers and protecting the environment.

NFU member James Cox featured on ITV News about the role farmers have to play in improving the environment.

Good Morning Britain featured NFU members Phil Latham and Richard Blackburn who gave their responses to the Agriculture Bill.

Trade and standards focus

In her response to the Agriculture Bill, NFU President Minette Batters said that while there have been many improvements to the Bill, it does not provide assurance that food imports will meet the same standards as are legally required of UK farmers.

BBC Radio 4 Today interviewed Mrs Batters where she said that legislation is needed within the Agriculture Bill to ensure our high food standards are not be undercut by food imports that have been produced in ways that are illegal here.