The President of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Minette Batters, told the House of Commons soaring prices, nitrogen fertiliser and a shortage of labour due to Brexit are all driving up input costs by 30% for producers.
The current conditions are said to be the worst ever for farmers in the UK, with many to reduce production as a result. This will lead to even further prices increases in food, already up by 15% last year.
"It's an extraordinary situation and I think whoever you speak to, certainly whoever I speak to, says that they have never witnessed anything like this at any time in living memory," she stated.
"It is unique. I think it's a story very much of two halves: certainly the intensive sector's facing a real hammering at the moment: we've got the situation with avian influenza and poultry, pigs, obviously the national pig herd a third smaller than what it was, huge challenges for growers with the double whammy of challenges of access to labour but also, rising energy costs, rising wage costs, the impact from the war in Ukraine and huge volatility in general in the gas market."