Government must match-fund AHDB cash to grow exports – NFU

Victoria Prentis and Minette Batters © MAG/Philip Case

The UK government must match-fund the annual £6.6m of AHDB levy money used to market agri-food exports if is serious about helping UK farmers tap into new and existing global markets, the NFU has said.

It must also ensure that the UK’s eight new agricultural attachés have sufficient resource to help farmers sell their produce around the world.

These are two key demands of government included in a new NFU report launched on Wednesday 27 April, called Growing our Agri-food exports to 2030 and beyond.

See also: Lamb exports return to pre-Brexit levels

The report outlines the NFU’s strategy to grow UK agri-food exports by 30% by 2030, increasing the total annual value to more than £30bn.

The NFU says its new “30,30,30+” ambition aims to be achieved in partnership with government – and it should be “a driving force to showcase the fantastic British brand and put British food on plates across the world”.

By 2050, there could be almost two billion more middle-class consumers on the planet. The NFU says the government must work in partnership with them to ensure farmers can access both existing and emerging export markets.

‘Partnership is key’

Speaking at the launch of the strategy in London, NFU president Minette Batters said: “I think agriculture is very different to other sectors.

“I represent 47,000 farming and growing businesses and I reckon probably less than 500 of those are exporting themselves.

“Partnership with government is absolutely essential… our bid to government is really to match-fund the [AHDB] levy.

“Australia and New Zealand and other countries have match-funding from government. At this time, when we are negotiating trade deals at pace, it is incredibly important that we are looking to export more.”

Farm minister Victoria Prentis said the NFU’s 10-point plan was “bang on”, adding that her government would look to work with the union about the best ways to grow agri-food exports.

“Not many of our food businesses are actually engaged in exporting. Only about 20% of our food producers are even thinking about selling abroad at the moment, so there is a lot of work to do and a lot of opportunity.”

‘More ambition needed’

Mike Gooding, director of food and farming consultancy RCMG, attended the event. He said increasing agri-food exports was not about government “making policy on the hoof”.

“We have to think more imaginatively and be much more ambitious,” he stressed.

“The UK currently only has two agricultural attachés in the world. Are we really serious about agri-food exports? That’s not an ambitious nation, is it?”