UK farmers call for urgent action to prevent soaring food prices
Farmers are calling for urgent government action to prevent soaring food prices and potential shortages in the UK as the war in Ukraine threatens grain and oilseed harvests, energy costs and the production of fertiliser.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has written to the government warning of “multiple compounding factors that have profound implications and risks for our food security” including further pressure on labour costs as Ukrainian workers have made up around 60% of workers taking up seasonal worker visas to pick and pack produce since the UK left the European Union.
It has called for a review of the immigration system to help bring in 10,000 more seasonal workers and for urgent action to prioritise gas for food production and make it easier to use organic fertilisers and manure as an alternative to those produced using fossil fuels.
Minette Batters, the president of the NFU, said the war had “focused attention on the importance and fragility of food security, both at home and abroad”.
“There are some clear short and long-term actions that government can take to maintain confidence and stability across the UK’s food producing businesses,” she said. “We have shared these with government and we want to stress that we stand ready to take these forward together, in order to navigate the extreme volatility we see today and expect to grow in the coming months.”
While the UK does not import much wheat directly from Ukraine, the country plays a significant part in European food production and the war there has forced up prices across the board.
The country also accounts for about 45% of rapeseed which is imported to the UK and used to make cooking oil, more than a fifth of maize imports, which are used for animal feed and
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