Living as we do with 24-hour media, and the ability to contact and be contacted at any time of day no matter where we are in the world, means the word community and local have experienced a shift on their axis.

This is perhaps more accentuated in rural areas.

I believe local newspapers provide an essential link that enables us to stay connected and define that sense of community which could otherwise be missing. Public surveys also tell us that regional and local press are the most trusted forum occupying the media arena.

This means ensuring the viability of local newspapers for the future is of paramount importance, especially in these tough economic times.

As President of the NFU I believe that local newspapers also provide an essential communications tool for the NFU; for reaching out to our farmers and growers.

Press support at a local level is crucial. The industry’s move onto the Business pages in some papers, such as the Lincolnshire Echo, also shows just how economically important farming is for rural communities too.

The NFU is a lobbying organisation and grass-roots support for our campaigns is key.

From the Cumberland News to the Falmouth Packet, local papers are best at supporting British farmers.

Whether it’s the Yorkshire Post’s ‘A fair deal for farmers’ campaign or the Eastern Daily Press on tackling rural crime, these demonstrate how well they tell the real story on the ground, and to the people that matter.

Farming is gearing up for some really big challenges; not least increasing food production to feed a growing population, while using less natural resource and impacting less on our environment.

I hope local newspapers will continue to help us get our messages across; farming matters and readers’ support for British farmers and the food they produce has never mattered more.

* Peter Kendall is NFU President. Local Newspaper Week run from May 9 to 15.