Michael Pollitt, agricultural editorEast Anglia's food and farming industry is worth �8bn a year and agriculture lies at the heart of this key element of the rural economy.The latest report by the National Farmers' Union, Why Farming Matters in the Broads, estimated that about 8,500 jobs in the wider Broadland area rely on farming.Michael Pollitt, agricultural editor

East Anglia's food and farming industry is worth �8bn a year and agriculture lies at the heart of this key element of the rural economy.

The latest report by the National Farmers' Union, Why Farming Matters in the Broads, estimated that about 8,500 jobs in the wider Broadland area rely on farming.

Senior policy adviser Paul Hammett told about 45 invited guests at Hall Farm, Reedham, including senior local authority officials and conservation bodies that the farming industry was a key part of the area's economic activity.

The tone of the broad-ranging report was welcomed by John Packman, chief executive of the Broads Authority, who spoke after the formal launch of the 24-page report by NFU deputy president, Meurig Raymond. He said that farmers had a role in responding to the challenge of climate change. "Agriculture is a strategically-important industry. It makes a major contribution to the landscape, tour-ism and community of the Broads."

Farming in the Broads produced one-third of the east's main fruit and vegetables and the 27pc of the whole national sugar beet crop was worth �31m to local growers.

Mr Hammett said that the Broads produced 21pc or �33m of the region's total �160m production of potatoes, and 30pc of the region's barley was worth �24m to growers.

"Our key message is that farmers in and around the Broads are uniquely placed to provide both our food and energy security while managing sympathetically the land and the environment we all value so much."

"Farming can continue to grow food, fuel, and fibre that we all need while at the same time getting better at the way we farm and getting better at managing the land."

The NFU said that adequate protection from flooding was key. "We're calling for committed, long-term investment and maintenance of our rivers and coast and particularly those defences which produce the best quality farmland in this area.

"We're seeking an energetic programme from the Environment Agency to keep our watercourses weed-free and de-silted. And we would like to see a proper investi-gation of just how feasible a barrier against the River Yare might be."

Farmers wanted "to look for creative cost effective solutions to how we can manage flooding and try to make that limited budget stretch that little bit further."

"We need incentives, not just financial, but policy to ensure that planning regimes and licensing encourages storage of water on farms. We think that that storage cannot just benefit crops but might just be able to supplement watercourses suffering from local flows, help navigation and vulnerable fish stocks and the like."