Former head of National Farmers' Union to head review of farm profitability
Former National Farmers' Union president Baroness Minette Batters is to head up a review into farm profitability, the Government has announced.
Baroness Batters, who was elected the first female president of the NFU in 2018 and headed the organisation for six years, will make recommendations on tackling the deep-rooted problems in agriculture and supporting farmers' long-term profits, ministers said.
As the appointment was announced, Baroness Batters, who will be speaking to farmers and growers across all land areas and sectors, and working with government departments which have an impact on agriculture, said 'we should be under no illusions how difficult' it would be.
Her appointment is an effort by the Government to back farming in the wake of deteriorating relations with the sector.
Last autumn's Budget prompted angry protests over inheritance tax for wealthier farms and a faster-than-expected end of EU-era subsidies.
Farmers have also reacted angrily to the abrupt closure of the flagship sustainable farming incentive last month, as all the money had been allocated, while the sector has faced difficult weather conditions, and now the potential impact of US President Donald Trump's tariffs on the UK.
Environment Secretary 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.'
Measures include fair competition in supply chains and planning reforms and quicker grid connections to allow farmers to diversify income streams.
But he said the Government had to go further and faster '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 Batters said: 'I 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.'
Baroness Batters runs a tenanted family farm in Wiltshire, with cattle, sheep and arable land, and was appointed a member of the House of Lords in 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Reporter Gets Hit By Rubber Bullet At L.A. Protest, Sparking Shock Allegation
A journalist covering the protests in Los Angeles was blasted by a rubber bullet during her report, prompting allegations that she was purposely targeted by an LAPD officer. (Watch the video below.) As demonstrations against the Trump administration's ICE raids and deployment of the National Guard intensified, 9 News Australia reporter Lauren Tomasi said, 'This situation has now rapidly deteriorated. The LAPD moving in on horseback firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of L.A.' She is then hit by an apparent rubber bullet in the leg, screaming 'whaa!' as he jumps in pain. Video showed an officer taking aim in her direction, and Australian politicians alleged the attack was deliberate. 'The first thing he [Prime Minister Anthony Albanese] must tell [President Donald Trump] is to stop shooting at our journalists,' Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said, per the Guardian. 'Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy.' Senator Matt Canavan told the outlet 'it looks like there was a targeting there' but didn't want to jump to conclusions. U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles. #9NewsLATEST: — 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) June 9, 2025 Reporting that Tomasi was indeed struck by a rubber bullet, News 9 said in a statement to the Daily Beast: 'Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests, underscoring the importance of their role in providing vital information.' The LAPD told the Daily Beast it was not aware of the incident. The BBC reported that British photographer Nick Stern sustained a leg wound from a rubber bullet amid the protests. He required emergency surgery to remove the projectile. Protests Intensify In Los Angeles After Trump Deploys Hundreds Of National Guard Troops Republicans Offer Cowardly Lack Of Pushback To Hegseth Suggesting Marines Could Quell Protests National Guard Troops Ordered To Los Angeles By Trump Find Quiet Streets And Few Protests
27 minutes ago
NATO chief Rutte calls for 400% increase in the alliance's air and missile defense
LONDON -- LONDON (AP) — NATO members need to increase their air and missile defenses by 400% to counter the threat from Russia, the head of the military alliance plans to say on Monday. Secretary-General Mark Rutte will say during a visit to London that NATO must take a 'quantum leap in our collective defense' to face growing instability and threats, according to extracts released by NATO before Rutte's speech. Rutte is due to meet U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing St. ahead of a NATO summit in the Netherlands where the 32-nation alliance is likely to commit to a big hike in military spending. Like other NATO members, the U.K. has been reassessing its defense spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Starmer has pledged to increase British defense spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2027 and to 3% by 2034. Rutte has proposed a target of 3.5% of economic output on military spending and another 1.5% on 'defense-related expenditure' such as roads, bridges, airfields and sea ports. He said last week he is confident the alliance will agree to the target at its summit in The Hague on June 24-25. At the moment, 22 of the 32 member countries meet or exceed NATO's current 2% target. The new target would meet a demand by President Donald Trump that member states spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that don't contribute enough. Rutte plans to say in a speech at the Chatham House think tank in London that NATO needs thousands more armored vehicles and millions more artillery shells, as well as a 400% increase in air and missile defense. 'We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,' he plans to say. 'Wishful thinking will not keep us safe. We cannot dream away the danger. Hope is not a strategy. So NATO has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance.' European NATO members, led by the U.K. and France, have scrambled to coordinate their defense posture as Trump transforms American foreign policy, seemingly sidelining Europe as he looks to end the war in Ukraine. Last week the U.K. government said it would build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, prepare its army to fight a war in Europe and become 'a battle-ready, armor-clad nation.' The plans represent the most sweeping changes to British defenses since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago.
CNBC
33 minutes ago
- CNBC
Nvidia CEO says the UK is in a 'Goldilocks' moment: 'I'm going to invest here'
LONDON — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang poured praise on the U.K. on Monday, promising to boost investment in the country's artificial intelligence sector with his multitrillion-dollar semiconductor company. "The U.K. is in a Goldilocks circumstance," Huang said, speaking on a panel with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson. "The U.K. is in a Goldilocks circumstance," Huang said, speaking on a panel with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson. "You can't do machine learning without a machine — and so the ability to build these AI supercomputers here in the U.K. will naturally attract more startups." The Nvidia boss went on to say, "I think it's just such an incredible, incredible place to invest. I'm going to invest here." Huang also stressed that Britain "has one of the richest AI communities anywhere on the planet," along with "amazing startups" such as DeepMind, Wayve, and Synthesia, ElevenLabs. "The ecosystem is really perfect for take-off — it's just missing one thing," he said, referring to a lack of homegrown, sovereign U.K. AI infrastructure. Earlier on Monday, Nvidia announced a new U.K. sovereign AI industry forum, as well as commitments from cloud vendors Nscale and Nebius to deploy new facilities in the country with thousands of the semiconductor giant's Blackwell GPU chips. The U.K. has been touting its potential as a global AI player in recent months, amid Keir Starmer's efforts to lead his Labour government with a growth-focused agenda. In January, Starmer unveiled a bold plan to boost the domestic U.K. AI sector, promising to relax planning rules around new data center developments and increase British computing power by twenty-fold by 2030.
