National Farmers Union president Peter Kendall has met with prime minister David Cameron and the major supermarkets to tell them that young people looking to build a career should take advantage of the opportunities in the farming sector.
The roundtable event was organised by retail analyst IGD at 10 Downing Street. Kendall said: “Farming underpins the entire food supply chain, and has been a creator of essential new jobs in rural areas.
“According to government figures, the farm workforce rose by 10,000 people between 2010 and 2011, impressive figures by anyone’s reckoning. This ties in with our campaign Farming Delivers for Britain, which amongst other issues highlights the tremendous opportunities that farming and the food industry will create for young people in the future as we seek to grow our industry on the back of market demand.
“We need new blood to start coming through into the industry, and they need to know what a fantastic career farming can be. The more people that see a career in agriculture as a viable option, the better placed Britain will be when aiming to meet our long-term food security aims.”
The meeting is part of the build up to IGD’s Feeding Britain’s Future - Skills for Work Week, which takes place next week.