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Andy Burnham said the Government has a \u201clong way to go to build back trust\u201d with farmers, and that the UK needs to \u201cguarantee our own food production going forward\u201d.<\/p>\n
It comes as the Prime Minister unveiled a \u00a365 million funding package for farmers, amid fears hot, dry weather could drive up food prices on supermarket shelves.<\/p>\n
Food producers have been facing a multitude of challenges in recent weeks as large areas of the country experience a series of heatwaves, little rainfall and drought.<\/p>\n
Many have been forced to harvest crops early, while others are seeing lower yields and lower quality produce, following the driest July on record.<\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s government faced months of sustained mass protests by farmers, including tractors being driven down Whitehall in opposition to new inheritance tax laws.<\/p>\n
His government had planned to impose inheritance tax on farmers\u2019 business assets after the first \u00a31 million, but raised the tax-free threshold to \u00a32.5 million in a U-turn just before Christmas.<\/p>\n
Mr Burnham visited a family-run potato farm near Truro, Cornwall, on Saturday that has been affected by the drought and met National Farmers\u2019 Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw.<\/p>\n
Speaking to broadcasters at Colwyn farm, Mr Burnham said: \u201cI realise we\u2019ve got a long way to go to build back trust with the farming community across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s probably been the hardest summer for British farming in a generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister added: \u201cI see food and farming as part of national resilience, national infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be able to guarantee our own food production going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Burnham said the \u00a365 million funding package was \u201cnew money coming from Defra budgets\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a meeting with the family who runs FG Pryor & Son Ltd farm, Mr Burnham said the measures announced were \u201chopefully a sign of intent and an indication to the industry that we want a new conversation\u201d.<\/p>\n