UK faces supply crisis, says National Farmers Union

• The yields of tomatoes and other crops will probably hit record lows this year.
• The NFU said that rising costs were to blame.
• Since 2019, the price of fertilizer for farmers has gone up by more than three times.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned that the UK is “sleepwalking” into a food supply crisis and that the government needs to help farmers.

It said that the yields of tomatoes and other crops will probably hit record lows this year, and that there could be supply problems in the future, just like with eggs.

It also said that rising prices for fuel, fertilizer, and feed were putting farmers under a lot of stress.

But the government said that the UK has a “food supply chain that is very resilient.”

Farmers have cut back or stopped making eggs because of rising costs, and the Avian flu outbreak has made the situation worse. This has caused some supermarkets to limit how many eggs they sell.

But the NFU said that food producers in other parts of the country were now having trouble.

It said that the yields of crops that use a lot of energy, like tomatoes, cucumbers, and pears, would probably be at their lowest level since records began in 1985.

It also said that milk prices were likely to drop below the cost of production and that beef farmers were thinking about breeding fewer cows.

It said that rising costs were to blame. Since 2019, the price of fertilizer for farmers has gone up by more than three times, and the price of feed and diesel has gone up by 75%.

In that time, wholesale gas prices have gone up by more than six times, and businesses that import food from Europe have had to deal with more paperwork and checks because of Brexit.

Minette Batters, the head of the NFU, said, “For decades, shoppers all over the country have had a guaranteed supply of high-quality, affordable food made to some of the highest standards in the world for animal welfare, the environment, and food safety.”

“But British food is in danger…at a time when global instability threatens the stability of food production, food security, and energy security around the world.”

She also said, “I worry that the country is sleepingwalking into more food supply crises, and the future of British fruit and vegetable supplies is in danger.”

But Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said that retailers were used to dealing with pressures across their supply chains.

“Supermarkets get most of their food from the UK and will continue to do so,” he said. “They know they need to pay a fair price to farmers, even though it will cost them more.”

Prices for food, energy, and fuel have gone up over the last year because of the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic. This has hurt both consumers and businesses.

The cost of staples like milk, cheese, and eggs is going up at its fastest rate in 45 years, according to the latest official numbers.

The boss of Grocery Insight, Steve Dresser, told the BBC that the biggest problem is how much people want to eat.

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