It鈥檚 hard to argue with the ambition to make the UK 鈥榯he best country to invest in worldwide鈥�, especially if it includes British farmers and growers.聽
So, it was pleasing to see the government鈥檚 new Industrial Strategy which sets out the steps it plans to take to grow British businesses.
After significant lobbying from the NFU, we were glad to see that agri-tech has been recognised as a 鈥榝rontier industry鈥�.
This acknowledges the sector鈥檚 potential to drive significant benefits for British agricultural businesses, as well as the leading role that UK innovators and entrepreneurs are already playing in this space.
鈥�皇家华人has long made the case for the UK food and drink sector to be rightfully recognised as the UK鈥檚 largest manufacturing sector.鈥�
NFU Chief Science and Innovation Adviser Dr Helen Ferrier
The potential of precision breeding is also recognised as part of the Digital and Technologies sector plan. 聽
As the Industrial Strategy forms a 鈥榗entral pillar鈥� of the government's growth mission, this opens up new opportunities for British agriculture.
What does the strategy say?聽
As part of its strategy, the government confirmed it would:聽
- Allocate 拢200m for the FIP (Farming Innovation Programme) between now and 2030;
- Introduce a new Agri-Tech Export Accelerator Programme to identify the best international markets for UK agri-tech products; and
- Invest 拢5m in the Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships competition, aiming to match 拢10m of private investment.聽
Many members will have already accessed the previous rounds of the FIP, which was first launched in October 2021, but had an uncertain future following the Spending Review. 聽
So far there have been significant investments in robotic milkers, data-driven decision support tools, sensors in poultry sheds, genomic testing of livestock, navigation systems and new greenhouses, alongside longer-term projects to tackle potato blight and grow climate resistant hops. 聽
Profitable farming sector is vital
For the UK to demonstrate a world leading position and attract investment, agritech businesses must see value in trialling, testing the market and showcasing their innovative products in use on British farms. Productive, resilient and profitable farming sector is therefore vital to underpin the government鈥檚 Industrial Strategy ambitions. We can then export our top quality British produce into competitive global markets and not just export UK technologies for farmers around the world to use.聽
A thriving pre-competitive science, research and knowledge exchange ecosystem for agriculture and horticulture, to understand the whole farming system, is vital to underpin private business investment in agricultural technologies from robotics and sensors to gene-editing and biobased materials.
The role of the NFU and next steps
皇家华人has long made the case for the UK food and drink sector to be rightfully recognised as the UK鈥檚 largest manufacturing sector, worth 拢147 billion, and supporting the jobs of more than four million people.聽
We have regularly discussed this issue with officials and ministers and raised awareness of cases on-farm where members are already capitalising on the opportunities of specialised harvesters, drones and precision weeders to drive productivity, sustainability and profitability benefits for their businesses.聽
The next steps outlined in the Industrial Strategy also create broader potential opportunities for the NFU to campaign for our priorities through the Supply Chain Centre and British Business Bank.聽
We will continue to work with Defra to confirm the timescales and criteria for the opening of these funds to maximise the potential benefits for farm business productivity and resilience, and ultimately UK food security.聽
