Farmers ask government 'please listen to us'

David Exwood, deputy president of the National Farmers' Union, says recent government policies have "worked against farming"

Farmers in the South East said the government has "lost the trust and confidence" of the farming industry since Labour came to power last year.

The deputy president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), David Exwood, who runs a farm in Horsham, says policies ministers have brought in have "worked against farming", with inheritance tax changes the main concern.

Some Sussex farmers claim other measures, including the increase to employer national insurance contributions, are "crippling" farms.

The government said its "commitment to farming and food security is steadfast", and it is allocating "£11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production".

The relationship between the government and the farming community came under pressure last autumn, when ministers announced plans to tax inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m at a rate of 20% - half the usual rate.

Previously, farms had been handed down through generations tax free.

Ministers argued that with additional exemptions, the tax will only apply to the wealthiest estates worth more than £3m. They said it was "a fair and balanced approach" to help raise money to fix public services.

But David Exwood said it has "destroyed confidence and investment in the industry".

"It was unannounced, unconsulted," he said.

"It's a tax that means that farmers potentially have to sell the factory floor to pay that tax.

"For older farmers who have been used to a tax system for a generation… they haven't had time to plan. Now we have many, many farmers who are in their 80s and 90s who just don't know what the way forward is."

Caroline Harriott says farmers are not on a "level playing field" due to UK government policies

It's not the only challenge facing the industry.

Caroline Harriott was born and bred on a farm in the South East and has been farming all her life.

She and her family raise cattle and sheep and grow crops to feed the animals they keep just outside Worthing.

"It's tough being a farmer in the last year especially. We either seem to have drought or flood," she said.

"We have a global world where food prices are up and down."

But she said she felt farmers in this country were "not competing on a level playing field".

She added: "We have very high energy costs, staff costs, planning issues. Our expenses are exorbitant.

"The government bringing in the [employer] national insurance tax increase, the family farm tax, the business property relief [changes] - we're getting a great big increase on all of that but we're not getting a big increase on our end products."

Arable farmers were particularly vulnerable, she said.

"Their cost of production is up here, their return on their end product is down here and that is crippling them."

'Help us produce more food'

Ministers argue there have been positive policy developments this year too, like a reset of the trade relationship with the EU, reducing red tape and making it easier to export.

This has been welcomed by Mr Exwood, who said more food should be exported to Europe.

But he added there was still a lack of trust.

"I think farmers are watching with a very wary eye as to exactly what that means for them," he said.

He called on the government to "work with us" and "help us produce more food".

The Worthing West MP, Dr Beccy Cooper, says the government is putting a record amount of money into farming

South East Labour MPs said they recognised the challenges facing farmers, but added that the government was allocating "record investment" in the industry.

Worthing West MP Dr Beccy Cooper said: "I meet regularly with our local farmers here and I know that other local MPs do. We are listening, we are making sure that we are taking those considerations on board.

"We're putting a record amount of money into farming over the life of the parliament, billions of pounds to make sure that farming is sustainable.

"I'm a doctor, I need to make sure that people eat healthy food. Locally-produced healthy food from farms, that's really what we want to see."

Ashford MP Sojan Joseph, who has a number of farms in his constituency, said farmers "desperately need more help", but that Labour is "looking to support them".

He said government funding will "help to support more innovative ideas, technology [and] new equipment to help with floods".

In a statement, Environment Secretary Steve Reed said "food security is national security".

He added: "Our commitment to farming and food security is steadfast, which is why we've allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

"We are slashing costs and red tape for food producers to export to the EU, have appointed former NFU president Baroness Minette Batters to recommend reforms to boost farmers' profits, and we're ensuring farmers get a bigger share of food contracts across our schools, hospitals, and prisons."