An urgent message to Rishi Sunak: 'Misguided farming policy will push British beef industry into crisis'

While the letter acknowledges Mr Sunak’s commitment to UK agriculture, it highlights a “lack of communication and coordination in implementing policy”, and “no forward plan for the maintenance and much-needed improvement in the UK’s food security”.

As a G7 country, the UK as a whole manages to produce only 60 per cent of its own food. The trend is tracking downwards, and government direction and action is required to prevent a future major disaster in this vital area.

Neil Shand suggests that food security issues are being overshadowed by the Climate Change Committee.

"Poorly thought-out plans”, including major reductions in beef suckler herds in Scotland and Wales, will leave a gaping hole in the requirements in England which are likely to be met by increased imports from countries with welfare and environmental standards far below those in the UK.

The letter points out that this outcome would simply export the UK’s carbon responsibilities, when a much simpler, and hugely more effective way to reduce the carbon footprint and maintain food security would be to support and develop the production capacity in the UK as a whole.

With separate and different carbon policies for Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, the UK is “failing to capitalise” on the unique strengths of these regions.

Setting climate protocols for each country separately, rather than as a whole, is likely to lead to an increase in the overall carbon output, a dramatic reduction of the level of food efficiency and security, and the destruction of rural communities and their way of life.

The NBA CEO urges the Prime Minister to recognise that government-appointed bodies are “failing him, the agricultural industry and the country”.

“Covid and the Ukraine war have made it crystal clear that we must rely more on our own resources, not less. A coordinated balance between climate change objectives and food security must be struck to allow the UK to move forward with agriculture and the environment hand-in-hand, just as it has for centuries,” the association says.

While the NBA’s letter to the Prime Minister is primarily written on behalf of beef producers, it also clearly relates to other sectors of agriculture.

“The potential for irreparable damage which will impact agriculture for generations to come is just around the corner. UK agriculture can and must improve, but it is imperative that we continue to adapt to produce food in tandem with the environment. The beef industry can play a vital part in both food production and carbon sequestration, helping to achieve higher levels of self-sufficiency and food security whilst ensuring our carbon output is environmentally kind.”

The consequences for the country if the government gets the balance wrong, warns Neil Shand, will be “catastrophic”. “The failure of the UK agriculture industry is not an option”.