English farmers will have to produce more food in the next half century than they have in the past 10,000 years, the president of the National Farmer’s Union Peter Kendall will tell a major conference in Birmingham today.

But to help them do so, the next incoming Government, of whatever party, will have to face up to three critical challenges: energy crises, world food shortages and climate change, he claimed.

He will go on to say: “The solutions lie right on the future government’s doorstep - providing ministers stimulate the opportunities that farming offers with a practical approach to smarter spending.”

This would include cutting the huge cost of bureaucracy here in England, he said, adding:” We are looking for a long-term framework that will really move small farm businesses in the right direction and make this sort of investment attractive to them.

“How can the English Single Payment Scheme cost £1,740 to process each claim compared to £285 for the same service in Scotland? How is it that the Australian cattle tracing system costs £1.6 million a year and covers 28 million cattle while the English system costs far more and covers only 10 million cattle.

“Savings in these areas could release money for essential research and development for food production.”