Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

War in Ukraine: UK Farming and Food Production

20 July 2022 · 6 other contributors · 11,011 words

Opened by Chris Matheson Lab City of Chester

Responding minister: Victoria Prentis

UkraineAgriculture & Rural Affairs

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Chris Matheson raised concerns about war in ukraine: uk farming and food production in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The war in Ukraine has increased costs for British farmers, including fuel, feed, packaging, transport, energy, labour, and fertiliser.
  • Farmers face reduced direct support payments from Defra while dealing with the uncertainty caused by the conflict, affecting crop yields and global food supplies.
  • The lead MP requests the government to establish a gas fertiliser index with industry partners to improve transparency and manage risk for farmers.

Key requests to Government

The lead MP asks the government to establish a trusted gas fertiliser index with industry partners to drive transparency in fertiliser markets and ensure farmers can manage their risk proactively. He also requests that the Government address broken market mechanisms for fuel costs and packaging supplies, and calls for a fair deal for farmers.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Chris Matheson Lab City of Chester

The war in Ukraine has exacerbated existing challenges for British farmers, leading to significant increases in agricultural inputs such as fuel, feed, packaging, transport, energy, labour costs, and fertiliser. Farmers are struggling with rising costs while facing a reduction in direct support payments from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The uncertainty caused by the conflict is impacting crop yields and global food supplies. Additionally, the closure of CF Fertilisers factory in Ellesmere Port has further strained the situation.

Other contributors (6)
  • Alex Sobel Lab Co-op Leeds Central and Headingley

    The UK's food supply chain has been under strain due to the war in Ukraine, causing price inflation, fertiliser shortages, energy costs increase, and labour shortages. The Government failed to anticipate these impacts and took too long to respond, leading to significant challenges for farmers and food producers.

  • Ben Lake PC Ceredigion Preseli

    He highlighted the decline in UK food self-sufficiency, noting that the country imports 46% of its consumed food and produces only 60% domestically. He mentioned increased import prices due to the war in Ukraine, raising concerns about agflation and its impact on farmers and household budgets. Ben Lake also discussed rising costs for fuel and fertilizers, particularly red diesel and nitrogen-based fertilizers, which have seen significant price increases since January. He shared survey results indicating that 71% of Welsh farmers plan to reduce production over the next year, raising alarm about a potential drop in UK food production capacity.

  • Drew Hendry SNP Inverness N & Ross

    Mr Hendry highlighted the pressures faced by farmers due to rising costs of fertiliser, fuel, and feed. He also emphasised the importance of considering farming as an essential industry that supports food security. He raised concerns about the decline in domestic food production and the impact of Brexit on UK farmers missing out on EU emergency funds.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Urges the Minister's support for farmers facing unprecedented challenges due to the war in Ukraine and inflation, highlighting difficulties in securing feed at increased costs. Emphasises the need for supermarkets to offer better prices to egg producers and supports sustainable farming practices.

  • Margaret Ferrier SNP Rutherglen and Hamilton West

    Ukrainians made up 67% of seasonal workers between 2020 and 2022, with more men staying in Ukraine to fight the war. The speaker is concerned about the impact on UK food production. Global food supply chains were under pressure before the war in Ukraine. Inflation is at a high of 9.4%, causing difficulties for food banks to maintain adequate resources. Urges swift action to ensure vulnerable people have access to affordable food.

  • Margaret Greenwood Lab Wirral West

    Margaret Greenwood discussed the economic pressures faced by British farmers due to rising costs of agricultural inputs and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She noted a decline in food self-sufficiency, with UK producing only 60% of its food in 2021 compared to 74% in 1990.

Government Response

Victoria Prentis

The Minister for Agriculture thanked the hon. Member for City of Chester for securing this important debate and condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine, committing to standing with Ukraine as they defend their country and democracy. She reassured the House that UK food import dependency from Eastern Europe is low and we do not expect significant direct impact on overall supply due to the conflict in Ukraine. The Minister acknowledged rising costs for farmers and announced that half of this year's basic payment scheme payment would be brought forward as an advance injection of cash. She also discussed measures to support farmers, including delaying changes to urea fertiliser use until spring 2023, introducing slurry storage grants, and maintaining seasonal labour visas. The Minister highlighted efforts to address global food security challenges, engaging with international partners through multilateral forums like the UN, WTO, and G7. She mentioned the establishment of a global grain sampling library by DEFRA to deter stolen grain sales from Ukraine.

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