The UK government has included agri-tech and precision breeding as key components of its Modern Industrial Strategy, marking a significant win for the NFU and the broader UK farming sector. The ten-year strategy is a cornerstone of the government's wider growth agenda, aiming to create a favourable policy environment in select industries to attract investment and drive economic expansion.
The NFU successfully made the case across government departments that the UK's food and drink industry, a sector already valued at £146 billion and supporting over four million jobs, deserves strategic recognition. As a result, agri-tech has been placed under the 'advanced manufacturing' strand of the strategy, while precision breeding is included within the 'digital and technology' stream. These inclusions are expected to provide new opportunities for farmers and growers to contribute to national growth, create jobs, cut emissions, increase productivity, and drive investment in sustainable food, fibre, and energy production.
© NFU
NFU Deputy President David Exwood welcomed the announcement, saying, "With the right investment, farming has the potential to be a key driver in future growth, and that's why we have been pushing hard for it to be included in the Industrial Strategy." He emphasised that farming sits at the heart of the UK's food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector, and is in a strong position to help deliver on the government's ambition for growth.
Precision breeding's inclusion was especially welcomed by the NFU after years of lobbying for the passage of the Precision Breeding Act. The regulatory framework for these new genetic technologies, which aim to improve food security and farm resilience, is expected to be in place by autumn 2025. While more detailed plans are forthcoming, the strategy includes a firm commitment to continue funding the Farming Innovation Program, with at least £200 million allocated through to 2030.
Exwood added that the UK agriculture sector is world-class and filled with innovative, tech-forward farm businesses. He noted that the NFU already has proposals in its Blueprints for Growth to help support the government's aims and will contribute these in the next stages of planning. He concluded that the focus on agri-tech should help farming businesses become more productive, sustainable, and resilient, delivering even greater value for both the British public and the government's wider economic mission.
For more information:
NFU
Tel: +44 (0) 24 7685 850
Email: [email protected]
www.nfuonline.com
