NFU President Meurig Raymond has congratulated Theresa May on her appointment as the country’s new Prime Minister and urged her to champion British food and farming.

In a letter to 10 Downing Street, Mr Raymond says he looks forward to working with the Government at an historic time to help shape a new agricultural policy which encourages growth, innovation, productivity and profitability.

“As our new Prime Minister will know all too well from meeting NFU members in her Maidenhead constituency, the British farming industry has transformed itself to become innovative, sustainable and consumer-focused”, said Mr Raymond. “It’s a seriously important industry - the bedrock of our largest manufacturing sector worth £108 billion per annum and one that employs 3.9 million people across the UK. In fact, it’s a sector bigger than the aeronautical and automobile manufacturing sectors combined.

“The NFU has an ambitious vision and our members are keen to achieve even more for Britain; with a rapidly growing population, declining food self-sufficiency, and new export markets there is huge potential for growth.

“The NFU is about to embark on a massive consultation with our membership - the biggest of its kind for a lifetime - with our officeholder team visiting all parts of the country in the coming weeks. This will allow us to help shape the next domestic agricultural policy – one based on sound science and crucially one which guarantees the support given to our farmers will be on par with farmers in the EU who will still be our principle competitors.

“I want our new Prime Minister to champion British food and farming and I have extended an open invitation to her to meet with me and my fellow officeholders, in order to share our vision for an exciting, dynamic and profitable future.”