Farming policies will be crucial in May elections

"Eighty five per cent of British people want to see supermarkets sell more British food and eight of out ten believe the Government should do more to secure an affordable supply, because the challenge has never been more pressing," he said.

"In 1984 we produced 80 per cent of what we consume, in 2013 we ran out – as it were – on August 7. By 2045, if nothing changes, we will run out by mid summer, because British farmers have become more exposed to world markets as a consequence of international, European and national decision making."

World food production and consumption is roughly in balance, he said, but small changes have big consequences; spikes in 2007 and 2011 and low prices particularly for milk now. We are in the world of volatility and that is not going to change, the president said, as did the Secretary of State, Liz Truss.

So what can politicians do? "Make sure the food chains works fairly," said Meurig Raymond.

"We applaud the fact that the Grocery Code Adjudicator has been given the power to impose fines, which we want the next Government to remit further down the chain, because our experience is that voluntary measures in the food chain do not necessarily work.

"We want unhindered access to futures markets in new areas like milk products and fertilisers because they are an essential part of risk management."

He called for tax averaging over five years not two years. The Secretary of State supported this idea, but could not speak for The Treasury! Both called for country-of-origin labelling on milk products to follow on from the regulations for pork, lamb and poultry, which come into force in April.

The president also urged the Government not to allow NIMBYs to capture the planning system, or allow opposition to badger culling to interrupt the essential 25-year TB eradication programme, which Liz Truss gives her total commitment to if the Conservatives win the election.