'Farmers just want a fair share of the cake'

Farmer Andrew Bebb said his industry needed greater stability

Farmers in Shropshire have called on the new Labour government to renew confidence and stability in the farming sector.

The industry supports more than 10,000 jobs in Shropshire and contributed £407m to the county’s economy last year, according to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).

New figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), indicate half of farmers do not feel positive about their future in farming.

The government said it planned to provide stability and address low confidence in the sector by introducing a new deal.

“Stability is what we need,” said Andrew Bebb, owner of Hall Farm in Cruckmeole, near Shrewsbury.

His 194-acre (79-hectare) organic dairy farm, which has been owned by his family since 1929, produced about 600,000 litres of milk in 2023.

“Our costs increase year on year - water, electricity, insurance, it’s all gone up," Mr Bebb said.

"Supermarkets charge enough for milk but I get a fraction of that so there’s an awful lot of money that disappears between my farm gates and the supermarket shelves.

"We just want a fair share of the cake.”

Edward Garrett from the NFU said farmers wanted to see more government investment in the industry

The government said its new deal will boost rural economic growth, strengthen food security and improve environmental outcomes.

Plans include changes to how farmers are financially motivated for environmental work and sustainable ways of food production.

Last year the previous government introduced Environmental Land Management schemes, which replaced European Union subsidies, following Britain's departure from the partnership.

The Labour government said it would broaden the schemes "so they produce the right outcomes for all farmers - including those who have been too often ignored such as small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms".

But the NFU called on the government to increase agricultural payments from £2.4bn a year to about £4bn.

The union said more money was needed to “deliver a globally competitive, productive, resilient, innovative and sustainable agricultural sector”.

'We cannot feel safe'

The NFU’s county advisor for Shropshire, Edward Garrett, said: “The major issue for farmers is confidence in the industry.

“We need the new government to set a multi-year increased agricultural budget… so we can have the confidence to invest in the industry, maintain jobs and do our environmental work.

"We've got a real goal for net zero but without that investment and confidence in the industry then we cannot feel safe."

Farming minister Daniel Zeichner said his government recognised that food security was national security and wanted to give farmers more stability.

“We are delivering on this commitment by confirming that the first Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements are now live," he said.

“This is the first step to increase farmer confidence as part of our new deal for farmers, to boost Britain’s food security, restore nature and support rural economic growth."