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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) prevailing market conditions and (b) trends in the level of input costs for the arable farming sector.

Defra continues to work closely with all cropping sectors as they face higher input costs particularly for fuel, energy, and fertiliser.

At the March 2026 meeting of the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), Defra and the Devolved Governments decided to closely monitor the price and availability of these key inputs in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The UKAMMG monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments including international conflicts and extended unfavourable weather. The Group meets monthly, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.