Farm Productivity and Profitability – two sides of the same coin

The long-awaited Farm Profitability Report by Baroness Minette Batters, released shortly before Christmas, delivers a direct challenge to government and industry. Niab, together with our partners in the Growing Kent & Medway cluster, sponsored the first presentation of the report at the Oxford Farming Conference. Strengthening farm profitability and resilience requires decisive policy action, and we are clear in our commitment to driving that agenda.

Baroness Batters is right to highlight the urgent need for clear, coherent and accessible support for farmers and growers. Today’s landscape is too often fragmented, overly complex, and unnecessarily costly. These are barriers that hinder progress rather than enable it.

Watch Baroness Minette Batters, joined on stage by Niab Chair Dr David Buckeridge, presenting the Farm Profitability Report at a Niab and Growing Kent and Medway-sponsored partner event at the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference

Niab fully endorses the call for better alignment across the system. As we have repeatedly emphasised in previous issues of Niab's Landmark magazine, fragmentation across the UK’s innovation ecosystem continues to limit the pace and scale of change. Addressing this must be a national priority.

Translating advances in plant science into practical, scalable farm and food solutions is essential if we are to meet the grand challenges ahead. The so called “valley of death” in applied research persists because coherent strategies and sustained investment have too often been absent. We will continue to push for sustainable farm productivity to be placed at the centre of national research and innovation priorities.

We are not short of ideas, yet there is a clear need to speed up the progression of science from the laboratory bench to the point at which results are delivered to farmers, and beyond. Our role at Niab is to bring coherence to that system: de risking the adoption of new technologies, accelerating their journey from research to field, and enabling farmers and growers to build more resilient, competitive businesses.

Over the past 15 years, Niab has trebled in size and established itself as one of the UK’s foremost independent applied crop research and knowledge transfer organisations. Our interconnected role across the translational landscape linking scientific research, farmers, and the agri food supply chain is unique.

This year marks a decade since Niab’s intervention safeguarded East Malling Research (EMR). Without public sector support, we acted decisively to preserve critical horticultural capability that would otherwise have been lost. Since then, we have worked relentlessly with the East Malling Trust and local stakeholders to modernise the site and reverse decades of underinvestment.

East Malling

This commitment was recognised through the award of the Strength in Places Fund in 2020 to establish Growing Kent & Medway, enabling us to deliver state of the art research facilities for the horticulture sector.

At the recent conference marking the completion of the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) project, I underscored one of the key findings from a decade of farmer led data: high wheat yields do not require higher input costs. High performing crops consistently deliver stronger margins and significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of grain. Productivity and profitability are not competing outcomes, they are mutually reinforcing.

High yield crops also achieve superior nitrogen use efficiency, reducing environmental risk while strengthening food security. These results are a product of precision and excellence, not increased inputs. While emissions per hectare increased modestly with higher yields, the intensity of the impact of harvested grain came down significantly.

It was therefore fitting to present at the final YEN conference, given our own Stuart Knight addressed the very first event more than a decade ago, warning of stagnating crop yields. Data presented by Niab at Cereals 2013 showed wheat yields in trials increasing by around 1.0 t/ha per decade, while on farm yields had plateaued. This is a gap YEN has helped the sector understand and begin to close.

Another vital part of safeguarding productivity is Niab’s ability to anticipate and respond to emerging threats. This remains a core strength. More than a decade ago, our team at East Malling was the first to detect spotted wing drosophila (SWD) on UK soft fruit crops. This was an early warning that proved vital.

Last year, through our northern field trials, Niab again became the first to detect the breakdown of YR15 yellow rust resistance, now recognised as one of the most significant losses of genetic resistance facing the sector.

Understanding the genetic basis of this shift is essential. This is important not just for breeders but for designing more durable, diversified resistance strategies capable of withstanding evolving pathogen pressures. Our collaboration with colleagues at the John Innes Centre is already advancing this work.

The current issue of Niab’s Landmark magazine, focused on farm productivity, demonstrates the breadth of Niab’s work to strengthen performance and profitability across the sector. From our endorsement of the 30:50:50 agenda, to the launch of the new AHDB Recommended List, to our commitment to train the next generation of crop inspectors, we will continue to champion excellence across UK farming.

Yet the wider context remains challenging. UK food self-sufficiency has been falling for decades. Domestic production now accounts for less than two thirds of the food we consume, down from a peak of 78% in the mid-1980s. Shifting consumer preferences, changes in land use, and structural pressures have all contributed.

Meanwhile, agriculture faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental impact, with debate often centred on reducing fertiliser use or scaling back production. The YEN findings point to a simpler path forward: producing more from the same land area can reduce emissions while improving productivity.

With the rapid advance of genomics, biotechnology, automation, and AI, the UK has the tools to produce more food with a lower environmental footprint. As the 30:50:50 vision sets out, British agriculture is well placed to demonstrate how science, technology, and data can be harnessed to produce more food with less land, fewer inputs, and reduced emissions.

Looking ahead, we remain unwavering in our mission. Niab will continue to work with the sector, independently, authoritatively, and with purpose, to pioneer crop science for the benefit of society.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2026 edition of Niab’s Landmark magazine. Landmark features in-depth technical articles on all aspects of Niab crop research, comment and advice. You can sign up for free and get Landmark delivered to your door or inbox:

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