Opinion: Small signs of positivity welcome, but work to be done

There is no doubt that the past 12 months have been tough for farmers, so it is reassuring to see the latest Farmers Weekly Sentiment Survey, published this week, showing that many farmers are feeling more positive than in previous years.

For many, this slightly surprising positivity is the result of better financial returns.

However, just over a third of farmers still feel they have had a bad or even terrible year, overshadowed by the plans for charging inheritance tax on farmland and the uncertainty surrounding future farm support, given the suspension of the Sustainable Farming Incentive in England and new funding arrangements coming online in Scotland and Wales.

See also: FW Survey 2025: A year of improvement – for some…

With the added tribulations of another year of extreme weather, particularly affecting arable farmers, the survey shows a curate’s egg of a farming year, good in parts but bad in others.

The survey also highlights a dip in investment in the sector at a time when better returns would normally suggest the opposite happening.

Lower investment is mirrored in a continuing drop in total borrowing in the industry since Covid, and although lower borrowing is not a bad thing in itself, it is concerning that the industry is not taking the opportunity to prepare for the future.

Determination

Despite frequent conversations about the pressures facing British farming, the industry continues to move forward with determination and purpose.

As we look ahead to a new year, it remains essential for the sector to communicate its challenges clearly to government while also highlighting the vital role farmers play in feeding the nation and caring for the environment.

Striking that balance isn’t always easy, but it’s more important than ever, and something the industry continues to approach with professionalism and pride.

While people in rural communities generally appreciate the realities of farming, I’m not convinced that the majority of those in cities and urban areas do anymore.

For many, the link between the countryside and their food is increasingly distant, and they are happy to leave decisions about quality and provenance to the supermarkets.

So as an industry we also need to promote to the public exactly what farmers deliver and why a secure, reliable food supply matters, along with the real value of the exceptional food they enjoy every day.

There is much discussion about food inflation and how it is eating into a family’s disposable income.

But the facts matter, and the average UK household spends less of their income on food and non-alcoholic drinks than anywhere else in Europe, with only the US and Singapore spending less.

Priorities

Valuing our farmers and recognising the incredible work they do for consumers is essential, not only for keeping the public onside, but for ensuring policymakers give the sector the priority it deserves.

We need to highlight more examples of real-world farmers, rather than the cartoon farming practised and given airtime by Jeremy Clarkson.

While his show may make people laugh, it is not really what farmers do. It doesn’t reflect the knowledge, expertise and professionalism farmers need to survive and provide an income for their families.

Farming is not easy, and the Farmers Weekly Sentiment Survey underlines the serious pressures facing farming today, but I remain positive about the future.

Yes, we need government policy to support the sector, and effective measures to pay for the public good.

But while the industry has been presented with some significant challenges, the survey also shows how resilient our farmers are.

Many are meeting those challenges head-on, producing high-quality, great-value food while protecting and enhancing the nation’s natural capital.