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New markets, exports and procurement: what could they mean for farm prosperity?
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With pressure on farm businesses continuing to highlight the importance of finding sustainable and reliable sources of income, the future of British farming could depend on more than what happens within the farm gate. Speaking at the NFU Breakfast event at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on September 28, Defra Secretary of State Dame Angela Eagle highlighted the importance of developing new markets for British agricultural produce, increasing export opportunities and making greater use of public procurement.
Her comments come at a time when the role of environmental payments in farm business planning is also under close scrutiny. Dame Angela said farmers cannot rely on Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes as the “only answer”, highlighting the need for a broader approach to farm profitability.
The message was clear: producing more food is only part of the equation. Farmers also need viable markets in which to sell it. “We must think about how we can develop new markets for farmers,” Dame Angela said, pointing to the work of the Farming and Food Partnership Board.
The Board was established to bring together government and representatives from across the food supply chain, with sector growth plans intended to help domestic food sectors increase their market share both in the UK and overseas. Horticulture is the first sector to be addressed through this work.
From producing food to finding new markets
For farmers, the potential opportunities extend beyond simply increasing production. Dame Angela highlighted the Government’s interest in improving UK self-sufficiency across a wider range of fruit and vegetables, while also pointing to international markets as an area where there is potential to grow demand for British produce.
She also identified public procurement as an important opportunity, with government looking at how public spending on food could support domestic production. For farm businesses, this raises an important question: how can producers position themselves to take advantage of emerging markets and changing consumer demand?
Diversification does not necessarily mean moving away from food production. For some businesses, it can mean finding a different route to market, adding value to what is already being produced or developing a new enterprise that complements the core farm.
Farm shops, food processing, hospitality, direct-to-consumer sales, farm experiences and branded products can all provide opportunities to capture more value further along the supply chain.
Building resilience beyond a single income stream
The comments from the Defra Secretary of State also underline the importance of looking at the farm business as a whole. Farmers are operating within financial constraints while dealing with factors including weather volatility, input costs and changing market conditions. Dame Angela highlighted the need to find ways of reducing input costs and creating greater certainty around the ability of farms to make a profit.
That wider resilience is also at the heart of diversification. Rather than relying on a single source of income, many farmers and landowners are exploring ways to build complementary enterprises around their existing assets, skills and infrastructure.
For some, that could mean developing tourism or hospitality. For others, it could mean renewable energy, environmental markets, farm retail, commercial property, food production or direct sales. The key is identifying opportunities that work for the individual farm, rather than pursuing diversification simply because a particular enterprise is fashionable.
Turning opportunity into action
The challenge for farmers is often not a lack of ideas, but knowing which ideas are commercially viable and how to turn them into functioning businesses. That means understanding demand, researching the market, assessing investment and running costs, considering planning requirements and working out how a new enterprise will fit alongside the existing farm.
This is where events such as Farm Business Innovation 2026 can play a practical role. Taking place on 4-5 November at the NEC Birmingham, the show brings together farmers, landowners, rural entrepreneurs, specialist suppliers and experts across a wide range of diversification sectors.
From farm shops and food businesses to renewable energy, tourism, accommodation, property development and environmental diversification, the event is designed to help visitors explore potential income streams and understand what it takes to turn an idea into a viable enterprise.
With the debate around farm profitability increasingly looking beyond traditional support mechanisms, the focus on markets, customers and new sources of income is unlikely to disappear.
Join us at Farm Business Innovation 2026 taking place on 4-5 November at the NEC Birmingham.
