The National Farmers' Union (NFU) is an employer association representing farming and growing businesses within England and Wales.
The NFU originated as the Lincolnshire Farmers' Union (LFU) which was founded in 1904. Over the next four years, similar farmers' organisations were established in neighbouring counties. In 1908, these organisations formed the current National Farmers' Union. Colin Campbell was its first president.
The organisation has been led by Tom Bradshaw as president since 2024.
History
Background tensions
The late 19th century coincided with increased struggle between three main groups:
- farmworkers, those farming on land on which they had no control over;
- tenant farmers, those renting the land to farm; and
- landowners, those owning the agricultural land.
Further angered in their opposition to potential land reform by the Liberal government, the Central Land Association (CLA) was formed to represent landlords' interests against their farmers, and against the Liberal government.
Formation and growth
thumb|260x260px|A 1900s postcard of the [[Agricultural Hall, where the Smithfield Show was held when the NFU was formed in 1908]]
In 1904, the Lincolnshire Farmers' Union (LFU) was founded to represent tenant farmers, in part against both increasingly unionised farmworkers, and against landlords. By 1913, it had 20,000 members—a majority being tenant-farmers—and excluded landowners but allowed owner-occupying farmers.
Campbell was succeeded as NFU President in 1921 by Richard Robbins, an employers' representative on the Agricultural Wages Board. Verley Merchant, the NFU's Welsh Secretary, responded to the formation by saying "We will smash you in three months".
In 2003, Ben Gill stood down as NFU president. Deputy president Tim Bennett and Derek Mead—a founding member of Farmers for Action (FFA) and an NFU Council member—stood as candidates, Better NFU also received support from Zac Goldsmith and Robin Page. Handley said he wished to see the NFU be more proactive and democratic, while his opponents feared he would turn the NFU into a larger version of the FFA. and went on to win the 2006 leadership contest. Handley would later describe Kendall as more collaborative than prior NFU presidents.
As a part of the UK quango reforms by the Cameron–Clegg government, in April 2013 the government prepared to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board—the body which had been responsible for regulating farm workers' wages. As pressure grew to maintain the board, the NFU lobbied in support of abolishing it. Abolition was completed later in 2013. In the same year, the NFU campaigned against the imposition of any cap on subsidies that farmers could receive.
In 2016, the Ethical Consumer Research Association published a report Understanding the NFU – an English Agribusiness Lobby Group. The report described the NFU as promoting policies that benefitted big agribusinesses at the expense of farm workers' pay and conditions, the environment, and animal welfare.
During the Brexit referendum, the NFU Council voted overwhelmingly to endorse the Remain campaign, but did not actively campaign on the issue. In the lead-up to the referendum, the NFU commissioned a report by Wageningen University which found that two of three Brexit scenarios could increase farm-gate prices. She defeated the only other candidate, Guy Smith, who became her deputy. She stepped down as president in February 2024 and was succeeded by Tom Bradshaw without any challengers.
In the October 2024 budget, the Labour government announced reforms to inheritance tax which revoke the exemptions for agricultural estates. From April 2026, these estates would be taxed at 20% (half the standard rate) but the first £1million of the property value will continue to be exempt. The NFU opposed the reforms, and responded by organising a protest in London.
In 2025 NFU held an AgriFutures Diversity Conference at STEAM house in Birmingham to promote inclusivity in agriculture.
In May 2025, Terry Jones announced he would step down as director general at the end of April 2026, after ten years in the post. Sophie Throup took up the role in the following month.
The archives of the NFU are deposited with the Rural History Centre at Reading University.
Structure and function
alt=|thumb|240x240px|Shared NFU and [[NFU Mutual stand at the Devon County Show]]
The NFU is registered as an employer association with the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers' Associations. Despite potential confusion due to "Union" being in the NFU's name, it is not a trade union.
The NFU is governed by its constitution and rules, which state that the NFU shall maintain a number of bodies which are responsible for the governance of the NFU. These include the NFU Council, Governance Board, Policy Board, National Commodity Boards, Regional Commodity Boards, an Audit and Remuneration Committee and Legal Board and Regional Boards.
The NFU is led by its president (currently Tom Bradshaw since 2024). The position is elected by the 92 member NFU Council, the NFU's governing body.
NFU Cymru
thumb|240x240px|NFU Cymru logo
NFU Cymru is the constituent Welsh branch of the NFU. It was formed in 1999 in response to Welsh devolution and the formation of the Welsh Senedd. NFU Cymru's current president is Aled Jones who has held the role since 2022.
NFU Cymru is based at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.
NFU Cyrmu nominates one of the two employers' representatives on the seven-member Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales.
British Agriculture Bureau
The British Agriculture Bureau (BAB) is the joint office of the NFU, the National Farmers' Union of Scotland and Ulster Farmers' Union in Brussels. The BAB lobbies for the British farming industry in regards to European Union policy.
Presidents
List of presidents of the NFU since 1945:
- 1945: James Turner
- 1960: Miles Thomas
- 1960: Harold Woolley
- 1966: Gwilym Williams
- 1970: Henry Plumb
- 1979: Richard Butler
- 1986: Simon Gourlay
- 1991: David Naish
- 1998: Ben Gill
- 2004: Tim Bennett
- 2014: Meurig Raymond
- 2018: Minette Batters
- 2024: Tom Bradshaw
Election results
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+1918 general election
|image_size=150
See also
- Agriculture in the United Kingdom
- National Farmers' Union of Scotland – Scottish sister organisation
- Ulster Farmers' Union – Northern Irish sister organisation
- Farmers' Union of Wales – Rival organisation in Wales
- Unite the Union (Food, Drink and Agricultural Section) – represents farmworkers in the UK and Ireland