The National Farmers Union warned that the government risks falling into a food supply crisis if it doesn't provide crucial support for British farmers struggling with the soaring cost of fuel, fertiliser and feed.
The union said that rising costs could cause supply problems for energy-intensive crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and pears, which are on track for their lowest yields since records began in 1985 and rationing at supermarkets as recently experienced with eggs.
The union said milk prices were likely to fall below the cost of production and that beef farmers were considering cutting down on the number of cows being bred for slaughter because of surging costs.
The NFU said that the cost of fuel and feed was up by 75%, due to a surge in input costs linked to the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. That is on top of a six-fold increase in wholesale gas rices, and increased checks and red tape for importers linked to Brexit.
The Union is calling for state support for farmers who have been forced out of business since the Covid outbreak, noting that the UK has lost about 7,000 agricultural businesses since 2019.
The NFU president, Minette Batters, told the BBC that shoppers up and down the country have had a guaranteed supply of high-quality affordable food, which is produced to some of the highest animal welfare, environmental and food safety standards in the world.
At a time when global volatility is threatening the stability of the world s food production, food security and energy security, British food is under threat. She said the country is worried that it is sleepingwalking into further food supply crises, with the future of British fruit and vegetable supplies in trouble.
The union is calling for a cap on seasonal overseas workers and a food security target that would monitor and report domestic food production levels.
It is calling for an investigation into whether exceptional market conditions should be declared in light of the disruption to egg production, which has been exacerbated by the avian flu outbreak. Such a move would allow the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to give assistance to egg farmers who are facing financial difficulties.