Ms Ansell highlighted the significant agricultural sector in East Sussex despite it representing only 2% of England's farmed area. She mentioned that tenanted land makes up 48% of all farmed land, and raised concerns about the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) and its unclear standards and guidance which are necessary for farmers to transition from the Basic Payment Scheme. She also discussed the vulnerability of local abattoirs and their impact on direct marketing initiatives by farmers. Additionally, she addressed issues related to rural crime involving dog attacks on livestock, noting significant financial costs and distress. Maria Caulfield raised four key areas of concern for farmers. The first is the cost of food production, particularly fertiliser costs which have increased by 152% since May 2021. She highlighted that only 40% of fertiliser is produced domestically and access to it has become more difficult due to international export restrictions. Additionally, there are concerns about the lack of domestic fertiliser production and the impracticality of current regulations on slurry storage. The second area is the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS), where only two parts of the scheme are open despite 84% of farmers wanting to participate. Caulfield also discussed labour shortages in farming, suggesting that expanding the temporary worker visa to two years and listing agricultural workers as a shortage occupation would help. Lastly, she addressed the issue of avian flu, noting its unprecedented scale and impact on poultry farmers, with compensation delays exacerbating financial losses.