The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

The Extent to which UK Farmers can Meet the Challenge

Paul Temple – NFU Vice President

Moffitt Symposium

18.09.07

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

What is the Challenge?

• New sector of non food use• Income diversity• New markets• Different land use• Sustainable farming• Farming challenge

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

What drives the challenge?

• Opportunity• Diversification• Rural re-development• Rural economy• Europe• USA

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

What drives the challenge?

• Climate change• Renewable targets• Carbon footprint: labelling

credibility

What does it actually mean?

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

Oil Supply

• Economy driven on oil supply• Far simpler driver• Do consumers understand carbon accounting?• Consumers do understand fuel in their tank• And heat in the home• Price sensitivity and the supply chain• Micro-generation fits farming

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

Global Markets – Global Drivers

• China and India – new consumers• Brazil and Argentina – agricultural powerhouse• USA - diversity of fuel supply• Currency – the weak dollar• Speculation – Chicago Trading• Credit – just who has the money?• WTO

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

New Challenges

• Farming is as unpredictable as the weather• New markets at the same time as global supply

tightening• Market volatility• Supply strategy – NFU’s Early Warning• Scrapping Set-aside• CAP reform – we are part of Europe

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

The New Challenge

• Income opportunities• Market tension has finally arrived!• Farm production is important• Environmental balance• Rapidly changing – can Government keep up?• Retailer supply chains will adapt

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

Meeting the Challenge

• Farmers are capable of meeting the challenge• Investment• No single solution• Ability to fit need and requirement

e.g. bio-digestion of slurry and NVZs• Opportunity with an exciting future

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

Meeting the Challenge

• Government backing and vision• Research and Development –

we have a long way to go to match France and

Germany• Regulation• Plant genealogy• Next generation of farmers• This generation of consumers

The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

Meeting the Challenge

Farming – the Leading Green Industry