²ÝÁñÉçÇø

Vale of York dairy farmer and NFU Dairy Board chair Paul Tompkins said consolidation and investment can be viewed as a ‘good thing’, but the lack of competition for milk was a ‘bad thing’ for producers

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown gives the main headlines from NFU conference, takes a look at the details of the Defra Secretary's speech, what farmers and industry representatives thought, and what's next for the family farm tax campaign?

Defra Secretary Steve Reed announces new policies and investment plans to help 'boost profits' for farmers

²ÝÁñÉçÇø Guardian's chief reporter Rachael Brown reflects on the importance of new entrants in building a sustainable future for agriculture

The Grocery Code Adjudicator, Mark White, said he wanted to hear from as many suppliers as possible about their ongoing experiences supplying to large retailers

Mr Reed said: "Food production will always be the primary purpose of the farming sector, but for all farm businesses, tenants, upland and others, to stay viable in an increasingly uncertain world and to make sure they can keep producing the food we all need, they must be able to profit from other activities"

Mr Reed said: "12,000 farms and producer businesses went bust under the last government. This is already happening. It is nothing to do with IHT. It is because the sector is not profitable

In an online video to NFU members, Mr Bradshaw said the PM was 'very much in listening mode' and hoped he was going to act on what he had heard around the 'very real human impacts' of IHT changes

On average, profits are predicted to rise to £590/cow. That is according to the annual Milk Cost of Production report by Old Mill and the Farm Consultancy Group