Farming bodies have given a warm response to Baroness Batters’ Farm Profitability Review.
It outlines 57 recommendations on how the government and industry can work together to boost growth for farming businesses.
“This is a thorough and complex report, and we will take our time to digest the details and analyse the recommendations to improve the profitability of Britain’s farming businesses,” said NFU President Tom Bradshaw in response to the report’s publication.
The farm profitability review contains short-, medium- and long-term recommendations which input into the government’s Food Strategy, Farming Roadmap, and Land Use Framework.
“As we continue to face huge and wide-ranging challenges from geopolitical uncertainty and trade deals that threaten to undermine our marketplace, to uncertainty around the future of environmental schemes, extreme weather events, continued price volatility and the unfair family farm tax, this report is right to recognise that reform is needed,” Tom added.
“Changes that will drive competitiveness and profitability, which are critical elements of thriving farming businesses, are also crucial to achieving the government’s own targets for economic growth. This is about enhancing the financial resilience and long-term sustainability of British farming, worth £153 billion to the economy and an industry that supports more than four million jobs.”
Priority areas
What particularly pleased the NFU was the five priority areas singled out by Defra, something the organisation had been campaigning for. These are:
- The creation of a new Farming and Food Partnership Board.
- Planning reforms ‘to make food production a clearer priority in the planning system’.
- ‘Stepping up action on supply chain fairness’ to include scrutiny of unfair practices and considering changes to Groceries Code Adjudicator oversight.
- Tackling barriers to private finance.
- Supporting exports and new markets, ‘with ministers leading dedicated trade missions in 2026 to showcase British food and drink overseas’.
In a statement, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) described the review as comprehensive and said many of the recommendations align with CLA priorities.
However, it also stressed some didn’t, such as the application of the active farmer principle, which would look for the farming budget to go only to ‘active farmers’. From initial analysis, the CLA sees various issues with this approach, especially when considering the wide range of agricultural business models and collaborative enterprises between landlord and tenants.
GB Potatoes, also gave the review a positive welcome, describing the need to value and support primary producers and the broader food sector as ‘pragmatic’.
“Baroness Batters’ review recognises the vital role of farmers and growers in driving growth in UK food production and ensuring domestic food security.
“If quick wins, such as addressing barriers in the planning system, are delivered, they will be warmly welcomed. The creation of a Farming and Food Partnership Board, with profitability and food security at its heart, is also welcome. We would value the opportunity to sit around the board to ensure the potato voice is heard and help build partnerships that move from talk to action,” said CEO Scott Walker.
