One of the nation's leading farmers urged struggling Norfolk food growers to work together on shared opportunities while industry leaders continued to press for more supportive government policies.
National Farmers' Union vice president Robyn Munt was the guest speaker at the NFU Norfolk branch's AGM at Park Farm Hotel in Hethersett.
She said a raft of economic, climate and policy challenges have forced farms into "some really difficult decisions" and left business confidence at rock bottom.
"But I also think we have to be careful not to define our industry solely by its challenges," she said. "We have enormous opportunities. We have some of the best farmers in the world, an industry with huge knowledge and expertise, an ability to innovate and, in a time of global uncertainty, an increasingly important role in food, the environment and the wider economy.
"What we need is a policy environment that supports that ambition, a supply chain that properly values what we produce, and farming businesses that are confident enough to invest in their future."
The fifth-generation farmer, who works with her family on the Isle of Wight and in Worcestershire, said the NFU had been lobbying the government to make policy decisions "that give businesses the confidence to invest and grow".
But she said last month's Budget was a "missed opportunity" to do this - with the NFU's appeals for changes to farm inheritance tax and annual investment allowances falling on deaf ears.
One area where she has "spent a considerable amount of time" in recent weeks was the "shambles" surrounding the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) - when countless farmers missed out on nature payments as a chaotic application window closed after just six hours.
She said feedback and evidence from NFU member surveys had been delivered directly to the farming minister, adding: "We have to move them away from the idea that food production and environmental delivery are competing ambitions. We need them to see that farming businesses can do both."
She also discussed rural crime, health and safety, education and the need to "make farming an investable landscape".
"We spend a lot of time talking about what government needs to do for us, and rightly so," she said. "But I also think we need to look at what we can do ourselves to create stronger, more resilient businesses.
"Where can we add value? Where can we take greater control of our supply chains and retain more of the value we create? Where are the opportunities to collaborate?"
She said collaboration could create opportunities in shared infrastructure, collective purchasing and processing, developing markets and creating stronger connections between producers and consumers - as well as vital peer-to-peer support.
"I think we should be ambitious about what farmers can achieve when they work together, whether that’s through formal cooperatives, farmer cluster groups, knowledge exchange and discussion groups or simply creating more opportunities to collaborate and come together," she said.
"In farming there are many uncontrollables - weather, global markets - yet I’m a firm believer that for every challenge there is an opportunity and we have to be ambitious about the opportunities available to us, rather than simply waiting for the next government announcement to determine our future."
After her speech, Mrs Munt took questions on issues ranging from water resources and SFI to precision crop breeding and farm safety.
Earlier in the meeting, NFU Norfolk chairman Graham Shadrack made his final annual report before he completes his two-year term in February, to be replaced by vice chairman Will Sargent.
He was close to tears as he outlined the pressures facing his industry.
"I went out to see family farms before harvest," he said "One particular family comes to mind - rented land, 500 acres, £80-£100 per acre. They have got to find £50,000 before they even get out of bed.
"That has been across a lot of families I have seen in Norfolk, and it has not been easy.
"We are having a tough time now, but please be there for one another. Things have got to get better. They have got to.
"At the end of the day, whatever we grow, we have to make a living.
"I find it really sad that survival of the fittest has to be the rule of thumb. I get quite upset about it."
In her report, regional NFU director Zoe Leach acknowledged the challenges of an "incredibly tough year" - including flooding, drought, wildfires, soaring costs and the continued uncertainty over payment schemes. But she said she had been "incredibly humbled" by the resilience shown by farmers.
"I don't know any other sector where people, despite whatever is chucked at them, still come out fighting, still look forward to the future with hope in their hearts that things will get better," she said. "You are an incredible bunch of people.
“Despite all the challenges, I do remain optimistic. Every week I meet people who are innovative, determined and passionate and that gives me enormous confidence in the future of farming in the East."
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