The NFU鈥檚 campaigning ahead of the Spending Review has focused on showcasing how investment in the farming industry can drive progress towards government goals and commitments across economic growth, food security and the environment.
This progress rests on four main areas within the Defra budget:
- At least maintaining the 拢5bn farming budget over the past two years, invested in ELMs, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and grants.
- A cross-government biosecurity plan that makes use of all mechanics of government to protect farmers and growers from threats.
- End-to-end investment in agri-technologies and research and development from lab to farm.
- The flooding budget, continuing investment in rural protections, including the maintenance of existing assets.
As the Spending Review has a focus on government spending rather than tax, it is unlikely that we will see any announcements on the family farm tax. However, our campaigning on this crucial issue continues ahead of the Autumn Budget.听
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NFU lobbying on the Spending Review
NFU warns against cuts to ELMs budget
皇家华人seeks clarity from Defra following media speculation that the nature-friendly farming budget will be cut as part of the Spending Review.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw says: 鈥淚f this is a move away from the principle of public money for public environmental goods, towards a more socially focussed policy, it is misjudged.鈥�
Read NFU President Tom Bradshaw鈥檚 warning in , , and .
NFU and environmental groups urge government to invest in farming resilience
Following a period of dry weather in England, the NFU joins forces with environmental groups to call on the Chancellor to protect the agriculture budget in the Spending Review. Despite numerous UK governments鈥� continual focus on ELMs as being key to building drought resilience and mitigating flood risks, the future of ELMs funding is uncertain.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw says: 鈥淭he impacts of climate change are already being felt by farmers and growers, many of whom were under water only a few months ago and now find their soil dried out. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so important we build resilience into the sector. A key tool to doing that is the farming budget.鈥�
After an exclusive interview with PA Media (a national newswire), the joint call for government to invest in farming resilience was covered in , and .
NFU briefings prompt Labour MPs to appeal Treasury on the farming budget
Following NFU briefings about the importance of Defra's budget, we support a joint letter from a number of Labour MPs to the Treasury on the importance of the farming budget.
Photograph: Alex MacNaughton / Alamy
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NFU discusses the importance of the Spending Review at banking roundtable
Following a roundtable with banking representatives, during which it was highlighted that the farming industry is showing caution in its investments, NFU Deputy President David Exwood says: 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about building confidence now. The Spending Review will be key. We are also working with Defra on what the next version of SFI will look like and the challenges there.鈥�
Photograph: iStockphoto
NFU calls on government to prioritise water management investment in Spending Review
皇家华人urges the government to prioritise investment in water management in the Spending Review, following a report by the government鈥檚 independent advisers on climate change, the CCC (Climate Change Committee). The report notes that over half of England鈥檚 top-quality agricultural land is currently at risk of flooding, with this set to rise by 2050.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw says: 鈥淓verything comes back to sufficient funding. We need an agricultural budget which allows more farm businesses to take these important measures through the SFI, and a nationwide flooding investment plan, which recognises rural needs.鈥�
Photograph: Sam Oaksey / Alamy
NFU calls for investment to counter increasing biosecurity risks
皇家华人convenes an urgent media briefing alongside Labour Peer and former FSA (Food Standards Agency) Chair Lord Rooker, to call for a cross-government biosecurity plan and sufficient investment to counter the biosecurity risks the UK faces.听
NFU President Tom Bradshaw says: 鈥淚n the current economic environment, and with the pressure avian influenza and bluetongue are already putting on the farming sector and government resources, it鈥檚 clear that the government cannot afford another disease outbreak.鈥�
Read coverage of the biosecurity media briefing in the , , and the .
Photograph: House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris / Kay Roxby / Alamy
NFU joins farming and environment organisations to urge against cuts to farming budget
皇家华人and over 50 farming and environment organisations come together to call on the Chancellor not to cut Defra鈥檚 farming budget amid concerns that any cuts would 鈥榤assively hamper鈥� the government鈥檚 ability to meet its legally binding environmental targets, and undercut food security.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw says: 鈥淎ny cuts to the agriculture budget will make it impossible for government to deliver its commitments to support a sustainable, productive farming sector.鈥�
Read coverage of the joint call to protect the farming budget in the and .
NFU President’s conference speech highlights £4bn farming budget is needed to meet government targets
NFU President Tom Bradshaw uses his NFU Conference 2025 speech to highlight that a multi-year farming budget totalling 拢4bn a year in England is necessary to meet the government鈥檚 legislated environmental targets.
The conference also saw Defra Secretary Steve Reed MP outline that the government鈥檚 25-year Farming Roadmap would stand on three principles 鈥� ensuring a farming sector that has food production at its core; where farm businesses are more resilient in withstanding the climatic and disease shocks that periodically disrupt farming; and that recognises restoring nature is essential to sustainable food production.
Photograph: Simon Hadley
NFU submits top asks to government ahead of Spending Review
The NFU鈥檚 Spending Review submission urges the government to invest in UK food security by committing to a bigger budget for agriculture, a bio-secure Britain, an agri-tech revolution, protection from flooding, and a clawback proposal for IHT.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw says: 鈥淭he government has been talking about a new deal for farmers. A Spending Review that supports a growing, resilient, sustainable, bio-secure and technologically advanced farming sector is the lynchpin of that new deal.鈥�