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Farming 2025-03-13
13 March 2025
Lead MP
Alistair Carmichael
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Other Contributors: 32
At a Glance
Alistair Carmichael raised concerns about farming 2025-03-13 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Calls for a debate on the future of farming to shape policy and support farmers. Discusses concerns over changes in agricultural funding, climate change impacts, and the need for a resilient food production sector. Criticises the closure of sustainable farming incentive scheme without notice, questioning government transparency and leadership.
Ely and East Cambridgeshire
Supports the idea that the Government should invest in rural flood management and water storage to help farmers manage water on their farms. Emphasises the need for partnership with farmers rather than policy imposed upon them.
Tom Bradshaw
unspecified party
unspecified constituency
Described DEFRA as 'a failing Department'.
Sadik Al-Hassan
Lab
North Somerset
Farmers are concerned about excessive power held by supermarkets, leading to unfair contract negotiations and raw deals. Farmers face 'take it or leave it' positions from mega-corporations with no recourse for minor defects or arbitrary cancellations of orders due to fear of retaliation. The speaker suggests strengthening the Groceries Code Adjudicator and increasing its resources.
Suffolk Coastal
Supports Sadik Al-Hassan's position on supermarkets not having farmers' interests at heart, noting that two major supermarkets did not pay corporation tax last year. Emphasises the need for companies to pay their fair share.
John Lamont
Con
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Emphasises the importance of farming for communities, economy, and national security. Supports farmers who work hard in difficult conditions with little thanks or reward. Acknowledges that farming is vital for food prices, rural economy, jobs along the supply chain, and environmental protection.
Julia Buckley
Lab
Shrewsbury
In Shrewsbury, farming is tough with tight profit margins due to high input costs like energy, fertiliser, and animal feed. Since 2010, over 12,000 farms have gone out of business annually under the previous Government. Farmers support productivity, new technology, and sustainability. The Government's procurement policy will ensure that at least 50% of public-funded catering must come from local farms meeting high welfare standards. Grants for farming innovation are being announced.
Mike Wood
Con
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Asked if it would be a sign of failure if the number of farm holdings is lower at the next election, highlighting that 12,000 farms were forced out since the previous Government.
Claire Hughes
Lab
Bangor Aberconwy
Welcomed grants announced by the Secretary of State for farming innovation and technology, supporting university research farms like Henfaes in her constituency. Emphasised that farmers who have applied will receive their grant.
John Glen
Con
Salisbury
Farmers in Salisbury are disappointed with changes to APR and BPR affecting succession planning, national insurance, and the national living wage. The SFI suspension is causing grave uncertainty among farmers who have not yet applied for grants.
Terry Jermy
Lab
South West Norfolk
Recognises that farming supports local communities and natural heritage but urges against megafarms which contribute to biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. Highlighted the need for sustainable practices like those supported by the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network.
Seamus Logan
SNP
Aberdeenshire North and Moray East
Discussed the Government's proposed tax reforms to APR and BPR, highlighting concerns over inheritance tax impacting small family farms. Advocated for a consultation on a clawback mechanism proposed by farming associations as an alternative approach. Emphasised the need for positive action to revive Scotland’s seed potato trade.
Suffolk Coastal
Addressed unfair supply chain practices, noting that supermarkets often act like a cartel, forcing unfair prices on farmers. Discussed the need for fairer pricing and protection against unfair competition. Highlighted the importance of ensuring farming profitability to address concerns over tax reliefs or Government support.
George Freeman
Con
Mid Norfolk
Stressed the importance of agricultural innovation and the potential for UK agriculture to become a global leader in agritech. Raised concerns about proposed farm taxes, small business attacks, and subsidies for solar farms which he believes could undermine farming communities. Advocated for sustainable intensification of agricultural productivity.
Josh Newbury
Lab
Cannock Chase
Emphasised the broader importance of farming to rural communities, environmental protection, and supporting farmers as a critical part of the national food system. Noted that despite these challenges, more money than ever before is being spent through schemes like the sustainable farming incentive and countryside stewardship.
Wendy Morton
Con
Aldridge-Brownhills
Farming supports local communities, provides employment, and contributes to food security. Changes to agricultural property relief will have a profound consequence for family farms, leading to the break-up of long-established farms due to inheritance tax liabilities. The siting of battery energy storage systems on green-belt land is concerning as it may compromise arable farming and food production.
Noah Law
Lab
St Austell and Newquay
The economic fundamentals of farming must be a priority, focusing on structural pressures such as buyer oligopolies, price input volatility, international trade challenges, welfare standards, and consumer culture. The deeply flawed trade deal with New Zealand undermines domestic producers and puts British farmers at a competitive disadvantage. Government policy should address the uneven playing field to support challenging farms in areas like Cornwall.
Winchester
Trade deals threaten our high animal welfare standards, such as hormone-treated beef or chlorine-washed chicken from the US, which could undercut British farmers. The UK has made significant strides in reducing antibiotic use in livestock without compromising animal welfare, with a 59% decrease in usage over ten years.
Ben Robinson
Con
Hampshire
Pays tribute to the hard work of farmers, highlights challenges such as international disease outbreaks, geopolitical events impacting fertiliser prices, poor weather, changing government policy and potential trade deals. Acknowledges the mental health support provided by the Farming Community Network.
Luke Myer
Lab
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
Focuses on the soaring cost of fertiliser due to global supply chain shocks, price volatility, and an over-reliance on imports. Visited ICL Boulby facility in his constituency which produces polyhalite, a super low carbon fertiliser that boosts crop yields by 3-5% compared with standard fertilisers. Urges the Government to back British solutions like polyhalite for food security.
Llinos Medi
PC
Ynys Môn
Critiques changes in funding models and property relief affecting Welsh farmers, demanding a Wales-specific impact assessment due to lack of data on the impacts. Argues that 90% of land area in Wales is given over to farming with significant economic contributions. Warns against undermining agricultural producers which threatens food security and rural communities.
Ellie Chowns
Green
North Herefordshire
Highlights the closure of SFI applications without notice, causing anger among farmers who felt betrayed by broken promises. Advocates for a sustainable, fair and in-partnership future for farming with support for nature-friendly farming, better economic returns, international trade deals that uphold environmental standards, equal access to schemes, and partnership with farmers.
Witney
Supports Ellie Chowns' stance on the closure of SFI applications without notice. Emphasises the need for sustainable farming both environmentally and economically, fair access to support schemes, and a joined-up approach to land use, food, farming, and sustainability.
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
Expresses deep connection to farming, highlighting the importance of agriculture for economy, rural communities, and food security. Criticises the Prime Minister's broken promises regarding stability and certainty for farmers.
Ben Obese-Jecty
Con
Huntingdon
Our farmers find themselves in a precarious position. The family farm tax has seen regular protests. We have seen the announcement of the suspension of the sustainable farming incentive and new compulsory purchase powers, with dozens of solar farms planned due to low qualifying thresholds. Innovation like Will Mumford’s AgXeed tractor can help mitigate manpower shortages and reduce soil compaction.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Farming is a difficult vocation providing significant food security in Lincolnshire. The family farm tax, drops in delinked payments, rising national insurance contributions, and other policies are making farming less profitable. Farmers ask why the Labour Government hates them so much.
Mike Wood
Con
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Labour’s policies jeopardise stability, growth, and sustainability of farming. The closure of sustainable farming incentive with no notice shows short-sightedness. Inheritance tax policies are a direct attack on family farms by imposing huge tax burdens when passing businesses to children.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Praises farmers' dedication in Northern Ireland; highlights the £2.5 billion contribution to the economy; criticises inheritance tax changes for family farms; suggests increasing threshold from £1 million to £5 million; discusses tuberculosis rates and need for support on avian flu; emphasises importance of supporting young farmers.
Jamie Stone
LD
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Supports farming as a way of life, heritage, tourism economy, and climate change efforts; discusses cuts to DEFRA's budget and proposes raising the farming budget by £1 billion; highlights issues with land prices in Northern Ireland; calls for strengthening Groceries Code Adjudicator and renegotiation of trade agreements.
Carmichael
Con
Orkney and Shetland
Critiques the Labour Government's handling of farming, citing low farm business confidence, tractor registrations at a 24-year low, and negative impacts on farmers due to budget cuts. Emphasises contempt shown by the Government towards farmers.
Victoria Atkins
Con
Spelthorne
Calls out Labour MPs for their absence in supporting farmers during the debate, emphasising the lack of support from rural Labour MPs. Criticises the Labour Government's three-point farming fiasco policy.
Victoria Atkins
Con
Louth and Horncastle
Asked for clarification on the figures relating to funding for this financial year, indicating that the shadow Secretary of State should look closely at the disclosed figure. Emphasised transparency in disclosing budget workings compared to previous governments.
Orkney and Shetland
Referred to a letter from David Lloyd George to a farmer's great-grandfather in 1917, emphasising the historic duty of farmers to support national interests. Highlighted that Charles Paterson's generation stepped forward during World War I, illustrating the importance of continuing this legacy.
Government Response
Acknowledges the importance of farming for food security and national security, outlines a 25-year farming road map aimed at making farming sustainable and profitable. Emphasises three principles: ensuring core role of food production, enhancing resilience through diversification, and recognising nature restoration as essential to sustainable food production.
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Assessment & feedback
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