The NFU is urging Labour’s new shadow Defra team to get behind British farming and support a national food plan to ensure a strong future for British farming.

Speaking in front of a packed audience at a fringe event during this week's Labour party conference in Brighton, NFU President Meurig Raymond also confirmed that he will be meeting with shadow Defra Secretary of State Kerry McCarthy at the earliest opportunity.

Speaking after event, Mr Raymond said: “Now is the time for Labour to show their support for a national food plan which was a key manifesto pledge ahead of the election in May. It is more important now than ever to see widespread political support for British farming at a time when our industry is in crisis with plummeting farm gate prices across the board and a continued downward trend in global markets.

“We are pleased Kerry McCarthy has said she will back British farming, a sector that contributed almost £10bn to the UK economy between 2008 and 2014. We welcome Ms McCarthy’s calls today for people to buy British food, including lamb and apples as she mentioned. We also agree on the need for improved food labelling, an issue we have been lobbying government on for some time.

“It was also great to see new shadow farming minister Nick Smith on our panel in Brighton last night and sign our back British farming charter. I look forward to meeting with him, Kerry McCarthy and the rest of the shadow Defra team to discuss our key asks of the present and any future Government.”