Agriculture must not bear the brunt of swingeing budget cuts expected as a result of this week’s General Election, farming leaders have warned.

Despite tough economic circumstances, government should resist making short-term savings which stifled farmers’ ability to invest and innovate in future, the NFU said.

Agriculture had to be at the heart of political thinking, regardless of who was the next DEFRA secretary.

Nick von Westenholz, NFU government affairs adviser, said tackling TB, establishing a supermarket ombudsman and increasing investment in research and development were priorities for the secretary.

“These need to be supported by the right fiscal and economic environment – one that encourages farmers to invest in their businesses for the long-term, guaranteeing a stable, healthy and sustainable food supply,” he said.

“Underpinning all of this, we must see firm evidence that agriculture and horticulture will be afforded a high level of priority in government policy making.

“It’s not hard for candidates to pay lip service to the importance of farming, but concrete commitment to action is what’s needed.”

He said it was vital the Prime Minister agreed spending plans that were devoted to productive agriculture and putting food and farming back at the heart of DEFRA’s operations.

“Government departments [need] to co-ordinate their work to ensure farming can play its part in meeting the challenges the country faces,” he added.

Kim Marie Hayward, National Beef Association chief executive, said the government needed to recognise the importance of the industry and “not strangle it”.

“The new government needs to accept farmers are critical to the country and give them the fair hand and respect to run their businesses, protect the environment and produce food,” she said.

“We will be tacking the TB argument back to whichever party comes back in. We need to remove the disease reservoir, which should involve looking towards what’s happening in Wales with regards to a badger cull.”

Tackling the amount of regulation farmers have to deal with, slashing the running costs of quangos by half and give funding back to farmers for agri-environment schemes should also be priorities, she added.

“We will be very keen to meet the DEFRA minister as soon as they get into their seat to discuss the key issues confronting the industry.”

William Worsley, Country Land and Business Association president, said the government now needed to focus its attention on reform of the CAP.

“It needs to consider what British farmers and land managers want from the policy and then making the right arguments to achieve it,” he said.

“It also needs to reform the planning system so that we can facilitate the growth of farms and rural estates rather than frustrating sensible development.”