Yorkshire farmers calling for homegrown food targets on Back British Farming Day as new NFU research reveals Britain is producing less food than it did 30 years ago.

The UK’s self-sufficiency in 10 out of 11 everyday foods, such as wheat, vegetables, beef, poultry meat and eggs have fallen in the last 30 years, the Ready to Grow report reveals.

At the same time, food import volumes are up 70% over the period while export volumes have stalled.

To turn the tide and secure a future for British food production, the NFU is calling on the government to set ambitious targets for homegrown food.

Yorkshire farmers will highlight these calls on Back British Farming Day on Wednesday 9 Septemeber, when they will be out engaging with the public and thanking people for their support with a stand at Bishop Burton College between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

NFU East York County Chair Andrew Sewell said: “Back British Farming Day is a great opportunity to champion our industry, highlight our concerns and thank the public for their amazing support.

“Farming is at the heart of East Yorkshire, producing high-quality food, caring for the countryside and supporting rural communities. With agriculture contributing more than £3.8 billion to Yorkshire’s economy and supporting over 30,000 jobs, it plays a vital role in our region’s prosperity and the nation’s food security.”

“The government needs to take national food security seriously and setting ambitious targets for homegrown food production would be an important step forward in helping us to achieve this.

“Having a successful British farming industry is vital to Yorkshire and with continued public support and government policies which back British farmers, we can have a sustainable and positive future.”

NFU East York County Adviser Poppy Smith said: "Yorkshire 's farmers and growers are proud to produce the food that feeds the nation while delivering for nature, rural communities and the wider economy. However, businesses need confidence if they are to continue investing for the future.

"The NFU's latest research paints a concerning picture of falling domestic food production and increasing reliance on imports at a time when the world is becoming more unstable. We cannot take food security for granted.

"As we mark Back British Farming Day, we are proud to celebrate British food, British farming and the vital role our industry plays in feeding the nation."

The NFU’s calls are backed by the public, with new survey results carried out by OnePoll revealing that 93% of British households agree that it’s important to maintain or increase UK food self-sufficiency.

The Ready to Grow report underlines the need for action to ensure farmers can meet the public’s demand, as it shows that much of Britain’s food is being produced at a loss:

65% of wheat and barley grown on cereal farms came from farm businesses operating at loss.

On lowland livestock farms, only 26% of some sheep products came from profitable farm groups.

This comes at a time when the worst drought in 50 years is set to cost wheat growers £370 million, while the UK's largest-ever bluetongue outbreak and soaring fuel, fertiliser and energy costs linked to the conflict in Iran are pushing farm finances to breaking point.

Despite this, agriculture continues to deliver for the economy. Gross value added (GVA) has risen by 57% in England and 55% in Wales, helping power the UK's largest manufacturing sector, food and drink, worth £162.3 billion and supporting 4.1 million jobs.