In the supermarket and on the farm, hungrier times lie ahead

Editorial: A combination of factors, including Brexit, have conspired to create a situation where many foodstuffs haven’t been so expensive in years, and yet some farms are still struggling to survive

The outlook for consumers and farmers is not encouraging (PA)

According to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Britain is “sleepwalking” into a food supply crisis. The only thing wrong with that view is the implication that what has been happening to food prices has somehow passed the population by.

Obviously, it has not. The British consumer is well aware of how increasing costs have affected the prices of essentials – whether fresh food or processed. It is, though, only fair to concede that the struggles of British farms and farmers have been less prominent.

As with households and other businesses affected by the energy crisis, farmers do need help, as a matter of equity as well as to contribute to food security and upkeep of the countryside. Such is the uncertain nature of the farm income support regime post-Brexit and after the Common Agricultural Policy, that the possibility of a full agricultural depression in the coming years cannot be ruled out. Even at a time of high prices for many products, pressure on costs can easily outweigh that windfall.