Former NFU president Minette Batters to lead farm profitability review
7th April 2025
Former NFU president and Wiltshire farmer, Baroness Minette Batters, has been appointed to lead a review of farm profitability.
The new appointment by secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs Steve Reed will see Baroness Batters providing recommendations on farm profitability both to him and the farming minister.
This movement is set to showcase the fragility of UK supply chains and prove that dependency on imports is not in favour of customers.
Farmers who are milling wheat growers have been encouraged to join others and do not load for at least the first two weeks of the month.
Following the appointment, Defra said that listening to farmers and growers will be at the heart of Baroness Batters’ work, covering all land areas and sectors of the industry, as well as engaging with other government departments whose work impacts farmers.
She will provide short-, medium- and long-term recommendations and propose actions for government and industry that will support farming profitability as part of this government’s New Deal for Farmers.
This work will be supported by the newly formed Profitability Unit within Defra.
Baroness Batters’ review will also help the development of the food strategy, farming roadmap and the Land Use Framework and build on other work such as the review of Defra’s regulatory landscape led by Dan Corry.
Her aim is to help ensure our farming sector is more viable, self-sustaining and competitive in the long term.
Baroness Batters will ‘leave no stone unturned’
Secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, Steve Reed, said: “Backing British farmers is the backbone of all work to support rural economic growth and boost Britain’s food security.
“We have taken strong action to protect the future of the sector with the New Deal for Farmers. But we must go further and faster as part of our Plan for Change to put money into the pockets of farmers and drive growth.
“That is why I am delighted to appoint Baroness Batters, and her years of experience as a leader during a time of great change in British agriculture make her uniquely placed to provide recommendations on tackling the deep-rooted problems holding the sector back and support farmers’ long-term profits.”
Baroness Minette Batters promised that she will “leave no stone unturned” in trying to find solutions to boost farm profitability.
“But we should be under no illusions how difficult this work will be. There will not be one ‘silver bullet’ to fire, but I’m hopeful this review can make a difference to a sector that produces the nation’s food, underpins the rural economy and delivers so much for the environment.
“I’m pleased to be appointed to lead this review and look forward to working with farmers and growers to provide recommendations to government, food retailers, processors and manufacturers,” she continued.
Baroness Batters begins her role today, 7th April 2025. The appointment will be for a period of six months with recommendations provided to the secretary of state within that timeline.
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