British farmers are calling for a more long-term strategy in rural estate management to boost the domestic food industry.

NFU president Peter Kendall said farmers will be able to invest in more diverse and profitable businesses if land agents take a longer-term view.

In an address to the RICS National Rural Conference in Cirencester, he said a "short-term winner-takes-all" tendering process does not encourage farmers to spend on sustainable new ventures.

Investment is vitally important in buildings, infrastructure and renewables to be able to take opportunities and most important of all they must be able to invest back into the land to maintain soil fertility," he commented.

With this in mind, he said land should not be re-tendered every couple of years to the highest bidder, but rather a more long-term approach to rural estate management would be more beneficial to the industry while getting more British food on to British plates.

"It is essential that everyone works together to deliver a more productive agriculture - retailers must give long-term commitments, land agents should champion opportunities, and planners must deliver planning permission for buildings that help improve welfare, boost environmental standards and increased production," he added.

The NFU chief made his comments in the wake of recent research suggesting farmland has been a particularly lucrative investment having achieved significant growth in value since the mid-1990s.

Tax advantages of farm ownership and the rising value of food have been identified as key driving forces behind the attraction of farmland, while values have also been considerably less volatile than with other assets such as oil and gold.

High-quality arable land has been tipped to enjoy a hefty rise in value over the coming years amid increasing food demands from a growing world population.

Investors may therefore be keeping a keen eye out for farms to buy that offer a compelling mix of adaptable land with good drainage and that is resilient to the effects of climate change.