Burnley MP Oliver Ryan champions British farmers on Back British Farming Day

The day is an opportunity to champion all that British farmers and growers do for the nation and people have ranked the job farmers do as second only to nurses – including producing food for our three meals a day, caring for the countryside, delivering renewable energy and providing jobs for rural communities.

Agriculture plays its part in the regional economy in East Lancashire and farms on the urban fringe play an important role in connecting urban populations to where their food comes from.

More than 1,471 people work on around 792 farms in East Lancashire.

Mr Ryan has shown its support by attending the NFU’s Back British Farming Day parliamentary reception.

He said: “British farmers and growers do a fantastic job of providing the nation with high-quality, climate-friendly food alongside being caretakers of our cherished landscapes. I want to say a huge thank you to the farmers and growers in Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield for their continued hard work to deliver the UK’s food security and the treasured role that they play in the social fabric of the countryside.

“It is clear the British public value our farmers and growers, with results of a recent NFU survey showing 91% of respondents feel that farming is important to the UK economy. They are valuable contributors to our local and national economy, producing the raw ingredients for the food and drink sector which is worth £148 billion and employing more than 4 million people across the country.

“Despite several years of volatility and having faced into some of the worst flooding on record this past year, farmers and growers have been out in the fields and glasshouses providing food for our tables.

“I am proud to support Back British Farming Day and will campaign on behalf of our food producers to drive forward a future for them where they can be confident that the public’s support is backed up by policies and are part of the plan for growth.”

East Lancashire farmers and growers also manage around 99,730 acres of farmland.