If this year has taught us anything, it is that farming can no longer rely on the weather, the markets or luck being on our side. Livestock farmers have battled disease threats, prolonged dry conditions and drought, and ongoing uncertainty, yet they continue to produce high-quality food for the nation

The lesson is clear: resilience is not a buzzword. It is the foundation on which the future of British livestock farming is built.

A challenging summer

Across the country, livestock farmers have faced one of the most challenging growing seasons in recent memory. While recent rainfall has provided some relief, the legacy of the prolonged drought continues to be felt on farms. The biggest challenge has not been water supplies for stock but the effect of drought on grass growth and forage production.

For livestock businesses, grass remains our cheapest and most valuable feed source. When grazing growth slows dramatically, farmers are forced to make difficult decisions. Many started feeding winter forage stocks months earlier than planned, while others purchased additional feed at considerable cost or adjusted stocking rates to protect livestock welfare and land productivity.

Those decisions carry consequences well beyond the current season. Every bale of silage fed today is a bale that may not be available later in the winter. The financial impact of drought does not end when the rain arrives.

That is why water resilience is becoming increasingly important across British agriculture.

Water resilience is about more than drinking water

When people hear the term water resilience, they often think solely about drinking water for livestock. However, for many livestock farms, the bigger issue is having sufficient moisture in the soil to support grass and forage production.

Improving water resilience means investing in healthy soils that retain moisture for longer, improving infrastructure to capture and store water, and adopting grazing and forage systems that can cope with increasingly variable weather patterns.

Climate volatility is becoming a fact of life. Building resilience is not simply an environmental objective. It is a business imperative.

The good news is that many farmers are already leading the way, improving soil health, investing in infrastructure and finding practical ways to make their businesses more resilient.

Those improvements require confidence and long-term planning. Farmers need the ability to invest, knowing that the policy environment will support them and that they will receive a fair return from the marketplace.

Farmers need support

That is why the recent Budget was a missed opportunity for British farming. While the extension to red diesel relief is welcome, there was little else to give livestock farmers the confidence to invest for the future.

The NFU had called for measures to support investment and growth, including action on the Annual Investment Allowance. Disappointingly, there was nothing in the Budget to address those concerns. Equally concerning was the absence of any movement on inheritance tax, which remains a major worry for family farms planning for the future.

If resilience is the goal, Government policy must support farmers to invest in it. Whether that is new buildings, water storage, livestock housing, precision technology or improvements to animal welfare, these investments require confidence, capital and certainty.

Fortunately, there is positive news on another front.

Livestock markets have remained strong, providing a welcome boost to farm businesses after a difficult production year. Strong prices for cattle and sheep are helping to offset some of the higher costs farmers have faced and are rewarding the investment, skill and commitment that goes into producing world-class British livestock.

Strong markets matter because they provide businesses with the confidence to look beyond immediate challenges. They create opportunities to invest in productivity, infrastructure and resilience. They support family farms, rural communities and the wider supply chain.

Of course, strong markets alone are not enough. We must ensure that they are underpinned by robust animal health measures and fair trading conditions.

Challenges ahead

One of the most pressing concerns currently facing livestock farmers is the continuing challenge posed by bluetongue virus.

The spread of bluetongue has once again highlighted the importance of biosecurity, surveillance and partnership working between Government and industry. Farmers understand better than anyone the devastating impact disease outbreaks can have on livestock businesses. Beyond the direct consequences for animal health, disease restrictions can create market uncertainty and place additional administrative burdens on already stretched businesses.

The livestock sector has worked hard to adapt to evolving disease risks, but bluetongue serves as a reminder that vigilance remains essential. Clear communication, practical and proportionate measures, and access to effective tools, including vaccination where appropriate, will continue to play a vital role in managing the threat.

Protecting animal health must remain a priority. Healthy livestock underpin productive farms, resilient supply chains and food security.

At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the opportunities that exist beyond our domestic market.

British livestock producers have an outstanding story to tell. We produce food to some of the highest animal health and welfare standards anywhere, with strong environmental stewardship and full traceability. Those credentials are increasingly valued by consumers at home and abroad.

Opportunities for growth

That is why export opportunities remain so important for our sector.

Two particularly exciting developments this year have been the announcements of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) between the UK and both Switzerland and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Both of these deals have seen tariffs removed or reduced on British red meat exports to high value markets where consumers are often willing to pay a premium for high-quality products.

The UK already exports an average of £9.4 million of lamb and sheepmeat to the GCC each year, and the removal of the current 5% tariff paid on imports of frozen British lamb can only serve to bolster this trade. Meanwhile, a 35% reduction on the tariff paid on British boneless beef exports to Switzerland, paired with a complete removal of the duty paid within Switzerland’s existing lamb and sheepmeat quota, should allow British red meat to be more competitive in a high-value market in which food prices are 73% higher than the EU average.

Market access discussions are rarely quick or straightforward. But opening new markets creates opportunities for farmers and processors alike. It can help diversify export destinations, build resilience within supply chains and enhance the value of British produce.

As we pursue those opportunities, however, we must remain equally focused on ensuring a level playing field.

That is particularly important when considering continuing concerns surrounding Brazilian beef imports. Government should ban Brazilian products of animal origin imports, including beef, if it cannot prove it is not misusing antibiotics. Defra must urgently conduct an extensive, in-person audit of Brazilian production and traceability systems and a ban should remain in place until Brazil can demonstrate responsible antibiotic stewardship.

Producers are looking for a level playing field

British livestock farmers operate under rigorous standards that are a source of pride and a key part of the reputation that British food enjoys.

It is essential that imported products are subject to equivalent scrutiny and that trade policy does not place British producers at a competitive disadvantage. Farmers support trade, but it must be fair trade.

Concerns regarding Brazil have long centred on issues such as traceability, enforcement and confidence that production standards match the expectations placed on British farmers. These are legitimate concerns that deserve ongoing attention from policymakers and regulators.

Consumers rightly expect food sold in the UK to meet high standards. Farmers rightly expect trade agreements and import policies to reflect those same values.

As we look ahead, the UK livestock sector faces both challenges and opportunities. Disease risks remain, weather volatility is unlikely to disappear, and global competition will continue to intensify.

Yet there is reason for optimism.

British livestock farmers have demonstrated extraordinary resilience. They have adapted to changing conditions, invested in their businesses and continued to produce excellent food under increasingly demanding circumstances.

Future planning

The lessons from this year’s drought are clear. We must continue investing in water resilience, not simply to manage today’s challenges but to prepare for tomorrow’s, too. We must strengthen animal health protections to guard against threats such as bluetongue. We must seize export opportunities such as those emerging in India while ensuring that imports meet the same standards expected of British producers.

Most importantly, we must recognise the vital contribution livestock farmers make to food security, the rural economy and the environment. But if we are serious about building a resilient farming sector, Government must play its part by creating the conditions that allow farm businesses to invest, grow and plan for future generations.

With the right support, fair markets and a long-term focus on resilience, British livestock farming can continue to thrive, whatever challenges the future may bring.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) represents 43,000 farming and growing businesses across England and Wales. Its purpose is to champion British agriculture and horticulture, to campaign for a stable and sustainable future for British farmers and to secure the best possible deal for our members.

NFU Livestock Board chair Clare Wise is a mixed farmer from County Durham, farming sheep, cattle and arable, running a fifth-generation family farm. Clare is actively involved with the NFU Education Farmers for Schools programme and regularly visits schools to promote farming and food to the next generation of consumers.