It has been a difficult year for Farmers and Growers trying to plan their forward business under a government which does not appear to know if it is coming or going, and it does not appear that things are set to improve in 2024.

According to Professor Chris Elliott, of Queen’s University Belfast consumers are likely to suffer shortages of fruit and vegetables in the coming year – due amongst other things to the lack of the UK Government having a strategy for Food Security.

For the life of me I cannot understand why not? They have targets for Net Zero, Heat Pumps, Green Energy but nothing for food. They do not appear to accept that food is the primary source of energy.



To make matters worse they use the taxpayer pound to push forward their targets but despite the promises made when we left the EU there is little or nothing for food production. Farmers are offered money for planting Trees, Hedges and Wildflower meadows but food is distinctly lacking from DEFRA’s plans.

Pat Bryant

UK Independence Party Spokesman for Food and Rural Affairs