Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of imports of (a) maize, (b) oilseed rape, (c) ethanol and (d) wheat on UK farmers and domestic markets.

Imports supplement domestic production and ensure any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease do not affect the UK's overall security of food supply. The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open market where the value of commodities is established by those in the supply chain.

For cereals crops produced domestically, including wheat, barley, oats, and oil seed, the UK has continuously been over 80% self-sufficient in domestic production for the past 20 years. In 2023, estimates indicate 76% of the crop-derived bioethanol for road transport originated from crops grown outside the UK. An estimated 24% originated from crops grown in the UK, which was mainly made up of bioethanol derived from UK-grown wheat.

From recent UK supply and demand estimates produced by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, data suggests a competitive demand for domestic feed grains has been offsetting maize imports.

Defra does not maintain any estimates of expected levels of imports over the coming years. The level of imports will vary from year to year depending on market needs and disruption to domestic production.