Liberal Democrats say Britain needs to back its farmers

Tim Farron MP and the party's candidate in the North Shropshire by-election, Helen Morgan, urged Government to Back British Farmers.

Mr Farron said that in December farmers would lose a portion of their basic farm payment as the government aims to phase it out over the next six years.

"It equates to losing 10 per cent of income with nothing out there to replace it. By 2024 those basic payments will drop by 50 per cent.

"The intention is to introduce an Environmental Land Management scheme but that may not be until 2028."

"We are not against ELMS, but it should be coming in now."

On a visit to a farm near Wem, Mr Farron and Mrs Morgan said total income from Shropshire farmers has fallen its lowest in ten years. In 2020, the total income from farming across the county was £76 million, down from £105 million the previous year.

"I have written to around 1000 farms within the constituency asking for their views and concerns about the government's approach to farming," Mrs Morgan said.

"Agriculture in the constituency supports a wide range of industries and businesses including feed suppliers, engineering companies and vets. It also plays a large part in our tourism industry."

Mr Farron said Liberal Democrats wanted to ensure that food imports from trade deals met the UK’s high animal welfare and environmental standards.

"Many countries do not have the close husbandry, family farms that we have in the UK which give us high animal welfare standards," he said.

He said that the party was also calling on the government to work together with farmers in the fight against climate change, not blame them for making a living.

"In the UK, 70 per cent of land is agricultural, yet agriculture accounts for only 10 per cent of emissions.

"We have to work with farmers to find ways to bring that down further."