The NFU is urging the new Labour government to increase the agriculture budget to £5.6 billion as Back British Farming Day kicked off yesterday.

The union emphasised that a larger farming budget is 'crucial' for giving farmers the confidence they 'urgently need' to invest in the future.

This call comes on Back British Farming Day, now in its ninth year, which aims to highlight the importance of the industry.

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While tractors were seen outside parliament yesterday, the official start of the event is marked by a House of Commons breakfast reception this morning. MPs will receive a wheatsheaf pin badge to show their support for farmers.

The prime minister, leader of the opposition, and senior politicians typically wear the badge, now a symbol of the day, during debates and Prime Minister’s Questions.

This appeal follows a challenging year for the sector, with farmer confidence plummeting due to record inflation, decreased farm income, and a changing climate with unprecedented weather patterns.

In light of these challenges, the NFU insists that the new government must act to prioritise UK food security and ensure environmental objectives by increasing the current agriculture budget.

The union engaged the independent Andersons Centre to assess the public funding needed to meet statutory environmental, climate, and policy goals in England for the next parliament.

The findings indicate that an annual agriculture budget of approximately £4b is needed in England alone, which would translate to a UK-wide budget of about £5.6b.

“While in opposition, we heard consistently from Labour that food security is national security.” said NFU President Tom Bradshaw.

“The prime minister, speaking at NFU Conference last year, pledged that Labour 'aspires to govern for every corner of our country, and will seek a new relationship with farming communities on this basis, a relationship based on respect and on genuine partnership'.

“We now need to see those ambitions realised. We’re calling on government to truly value UK food security by delivering a renewed and enhanced multi-annual agriculture budget of £5.6b on October 30 [autumn statement].

“On this Back British Farming Day, we are at a tipping point, so we call on government, all MPs, to also show their unstinted support."

This appeal follows the government's confirmation of a £358m underspend in the agriculture budget over the past three years, which the NFU has criticized as a 'kick in the teeth' for farmers.