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British farmers say UK cannot sustain agricultural output

Sunday, 22 February 2015 7:40 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 22 February 2015 7:39 PM ]

British farmers convert their land to stay afloat. (file photo)

A new report says the United Kingdom will not be able to produce sufficient food as farmers convert their land to stay afloat.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) says there is an "alarming" decline in food production at British farms, which will leave shoppers at the mercy of prices and quality elsewhere in the world, the Telegraph reported.

The report forecasts a sharp rise in the amount of imported food as British farms convert into renewable energy sites and tourist attractions to stay afloat.

Now Rodney Shakespeare, professor of economics in London, says, “The British people are at war with the forces of finance capitalism and globalization. Those forces have no concern with productive capacity; always spreading in the capacity, or ensuring the mass of the people have reasonable access to food, goods and services.”

“And this is now being reflected in a situation where British farms are now losing productive capacity and they are going out of business. And they're going out to business; because, the government is not focusing on using the country's money supply for of the benefit of the protection and for the benefit of producing food and services for the British people,” Shakespeare told Press TV’s UK Desk.

The NFU is reportedly set to urge British lawmakers to treat "food security" with the same importance as education and health in their manifestos for the forthcoming election.

It will recommend that the next government incentivises farmers to grow vegetables, grains and rear animals to secure the food supply for the next generation.

HRK/GHN

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