Public perception is a major concern for UK farmers, according to AgriWebb’s 2022 State of the Farmer report.
The report surveyed 600 farmers from the UK, Australia and the US, of which 65 farm in England; 15 in Northern Ireland; 21 in Scotland; and 32 in Wales.
It found that maintaining/improving margins (32.1% very concerned), navigating government and regulatory pressures (34.3%) and changes to payments (32.85) to be the top concerns of farmers in the UK.
Following at 29.% is public and media perception, ahead of other factors like import and export competition (26.7%) the price of beef and lamb (24.4%) and Brexit pressures (19.8%).
In comparison, 18% of Australian farmers and 12% of US farmers share this worry.
Priorities for UK farmers in 2022
The top priorities for UK farmers in 2022, according to the State of the Farmer report, are improving herd efficiency i.e. fertility rates, mortality rates, growth rates etc. (49.6%), increasing overall profitability (47.3%) and increasing operational efficiencies on-farm (43.5%).
The research also found that 27% of UK farmers believe genetics are ‘extremely important’ to their operation, compared to 30% in Australia and 32% in the US.
The research also identified that in terms of action over talk on climate, UK farmers are ahead of those in Australia and the US. UK livestock producers stand apart, with more than 50% calling carbon sequestration and net-zero efforts either a priority or a top priority this year.
Only 13% of UK farmers said it wasn’t a priority, compared with 31% of Australian respondents and 39% of US farmers.
