Minette Batters is a tenant farmer in Wiltshire.  She was President of the NFU from 2018 to 2024 and subsequently became an active Member of the House of Lords.  During her time at the NFU, she had frequent contacts with the Government, particularly Defra, and was disappointed by the attitude that farming was unimportant as it only accounts for 0.6% of GDP. 

The priority for Defra was the environment whilst it is thought that we can always import any food that is not produced here, probably cheaper.  Food security has only recently become more of a priority as the impact of Government policy such as IHT reforms, together with other factors such as the weather, has led to doubt whether farming can survive let alone be profitable.

A forecast from the Office of Budget Responsibility predicts that inputs costs will be 30% higher in 2026 than they were in 2020 whilst the Government has accelerated the phase-out of the Single Payment subsidy.  And yet the Government budget for agriculture, primarily agri-environment schemes, has not increased from £2.4 billion a year since 2007.  The main grant scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, was closed to new applicants in March 2025 as the budget was expended.  Independent economic analysis from the NFU shows that a minimum of £4 billion annually is needed if objectives are to be met. 

This Government has made a commitment to food security.  The then Secretary of State at Defra, Steve Reed, commissioned Minette Batters to review farm profitability and her report was published in December 2025.  It contains extensive evidence and 57 recommendations for the Government to repair the productivity and profitability of English farming.  The response will be included in the 25 year Farming Roadmap due out later this year.

The Oxford Farming Conference was held in early January 2026.  Another report, written by Dr Louise Manning of Lincoln University, was presented and debated.  Entitled UK Farming – Grasping the Opportunities, it complemented the Farm Profitability Review and stressed the need for reform if farming is to survive and thrive.

The current Secretary of State at Defra, Emma Reynolds, spoke at the Oxford Farming Conference, emphasising the need to work with farmers to improve profitability.  She announced the initiation of a Farming and Food Partnership Board to bring together the whole agri-food system, farmers, food processors, retailers and finance.

The SFI will be reopened this year, improved and streamlined, with new applicants invited in June limited to smaller farms.  A further application window in September will open for all farms including those already on agri-environment schemes for extension.  To make the budget stretch further, consideration is being given to capping each contract.  There is little detail released as yet but she promised greater disclosure and transparency before the scheme reopens.

As one might expect, the Secretary of State’s speech was designed to placate farmers.  She pledged to work with farmers to improve productivity and profitability, recognizing the priority of food security.  But Defra will be judged by action not words, in particular the increased funding needed to ensure the supply of high quality food and nature conservation for the nation.