Secretary Reed, British farmers face unfair competition from low-welfare imports, with the Australia FTA alone causing an 85% surge in sheep meat imports from farms using practices like live lamb cutting that are illegal here. Will your government introduce legislation requiring all imported animal products to meet UK welfare standards, creating a level playing field for our farmers while preventing outsourced animal cruelty?
The government say they are supporting British farmers and home grown food, why are they sending £536m to 10 different farming communities and farmers in other countries instead of cutting our delinked payments or helping the NHS?
Secretary of State. Farming is a proud profession and rightly so, for the essential life giving service we provide this nation. With the respect and support of previous govts the hardships of back breaking work, earning less than the minimum wage and mental health challenges were bearable. More so when the farm could be left whole to children to continue that proud legacy. Now your govt has destroyed our trust, our hope and shown utter contempt for the people and role we represent by refusing to talk constructively with our leaders. Can you tell us, why on earth should farmers carry on being the workhorses of this nation when they are clearly held in such disregard by you and yours?
The future of the whole farming industry is blighted by the Government's APR/BPR proposals. Why therefore is the Secretary of State attending the NFU conference if he refuses to listen? The mental health implications of these proposals will be a legacy this government will never be forgiven for.
The UK is currently suffering from multiple outbreaks of avian influenza. I have unfortunately experienced the turmoil and devastation of this awful disease in my own flock and I am deeply concerned at the lack of APHA resource and strategy which is desperately needed to help poultry farmers like me. Despite continued outbreaks in poultry and an increase in positive wild bird findings across the country, producers are still being forced to allow their birds to free range and this cannot continue – we are not sleeping at night and this whole situation is taking a huge impact on our mental health. What much-needed and long-overdue assurances can the Secretary of State give me and my fellow poultry producers today that he’ll take this away and investigate with urgency to give farming families and their staff the support that they desperately need and ensure that we have a future for poultry production in the UK?
The livestock and dairy sectors have critical roles to play in feeding the nation whilst protecting the environment, supporting rural businesses and communities. The delivery of better data and traceability through the Livestock Information Programme could be a key tool in helping the livestock sectors to deliver wider government goals, such as environmental sustainability and driving productivity and efficiency at farm level. What assurances can the SofS give that the programme remains ambitious, and the core replacement service will deliver far more than just traceability but health information at the point sale (bovine TB or BVD for example) and feedback from meat processors on carcase weight, grade and age.
Secretary of State, recently Keir Starmer said that there is a choice between The Family Farm Tax and funding the NHS. Do you concede that the roughly 500 million pounds that the Family Farm Tax proposes to raise in five years is less than the NHS’s budget for a single day and is therefore a probprostorous suggestion. Will you commit to insisting that the PM retracts and corrects this ludicrous supposition?
The environmental credentials of British agriculture are important for consumers. Can we expect support from Government to ensure the main carbon calculators used in the livestock sectors become more harmonised, and soon and we see farmers incentivised to complete a farm carbon audit through a new SFI standard?
"As an upland farmer ,we like many we have been early adopters of environmental schemes such as HLS to protect many SSSI sites on our farm in a protected landscape. In the often tortuous and slow moving transition of ELMS we were promised time and time again, going right back to Michael Goves time in office and the Health and Harmony era that no one would be penalised under the transition. So will the Secretary of State do the right thing and offer and uplift to HLS payments back dated and also offer a clear route through for those who want to enter ELMS by Jan 2027"
Secretary of State, what were your thoughts on the prime ministers statement of ' keep the inheritance break for farmers and the NHS waiting lists will continue to grow'? Adding fuel to the fire would spring to mind.
We are nervously investing heavily in our new pasteurised liquid egg processing plant and will likely be exporting a vast majority of its output as customers in other countries value our farming methods and British credentials more so than our domestic market. Do you see this as the future for the output of British farming businesses in order to survive, leaving lower production standard imported foods to feed our own nation?
Is there an extension to the Fruit and Veg scheme beyond the end of this year ?
How will the government tackle the nutrient neutrality crisis, which has demonstrably been the biggest barrier to farm investment.
When will the ADOPT program be released? How much is it?
Secretary of Sate, do you still believe that food security is national security?
After Covid in their formative years and the crippling budget what can you offer to our current young farmer club members to re engage their confidence in the future of British farming? I am a former chairman of Leicestershire federation, current president of Netherseal YFC,my daughter is the current chairman of Leicestershire federation and we will help and support YFC With what ever they need. However the sense of disillusionment amongst them now is worrying. What can your government offer to our current young farmers to re engage their confidence in the future?
Secretary of State, how do you expect farmers to face unprecedented cost pressures they stand to face with likely inheritance tax liability without the need for the cost of food to increase?
In the light of the recent unauthorised releases of non native species, would DEFRA consider that if the animals were not captured in a short period of time, then a licence would be put in place for the control of the species AND would the offending holders of those licences to keep the species have their licences revoked and the remaining animals be taken to a more responsible organisation.
Secretary of State. What is the current position from DEFRA regarding future stocking rates on Moorland given the recent meetings with DEFRA staff where this has been discussed. Would you agree that it is vital that stocking rates are maintained to give a future to the stratified and hefted sheep system we have on moorland, with some native breeds not actually recognised by DEFRA as native?
As DEFRA encourages farmers to "confidently access payments from both the public and private sector for environmental benefits", can you assist in asking DEFRA and the RPA to answer a question submitted to them back in early January, on this issue of double-funding clarification. The Poole Harbour Nutrient Management Scheme is now in its third year, and last year we successfully completed our first year of catchment scale external trading of N credits, generated from the EA's Nitrate Leaching Tool. But our members (c.200) are being penalised in private sector N trading deals we have secured, on land that is entered into Environmental Schemes for biodiversity objectives. This is against DEFRA's own guidance in the SFI handbook. This is an issue that desperately needs resolving, for farmers in Poole Harbour catchment now, but it will be affecting farmers nationally as well.
Regarding the NFU's suggested Clawback Mechanism where IHT would be charged when an asset is sold - how would this work with business assets (machinery, crops in store, livestock etc) as these would be sold during the normal trading of the farm, yet also valued as an asset for IHT due to BPR also being abolished.
"Secretary of State; when every farm business owner, farm finance expert and farmer representative body is able to demonstrate how you have your sums wrong on agricultural property and business relief, why do you think you know better?"
'Secretary of State, you and your colleagues keep referring to the three million pounds of relief that is available to farmers, but in reality there are almost no family farms where this can be achieved. Thousands of widows and widowers, having taken good tax advice and your very own words that APR would not be changed, are now caught out by this dreadfully drafted and inhumane legislation. This includes my mother, an active farmer of 90, who now wishes her life away ahead of April next year. At a human level what do you say to my mother and countless other farming widows and widowers in a similar situation?
On page 15 the landuse framework consultation document states a proposal to take 9% of land out of food for climate and environmental benefit; and a further 10% will change away from food for climate/environment. Almost 20% out of food. This is in addition to changes planned to "the way that land is farmed". In the face of climate change models from the Met Office that show that food imports to the UK are under significant threat, why isn't the government prioritising food production in the UK?
The Foot and Mouth outbreak in Germany has served as an unwelcome reminder of the vulnerability of our livestock farms to animal diseases. Our biggest risk for disease control is the illegal importation of meat. Will the Secretary of State commit to granting our Border Force the authority to seize and destroy the cars, lorry’s and vans of those jeopardising our bio security?
Can you confirm that hormone treated beef will not be allowed into the UK, in any trade deal with the US?
We currently manage an upland hill farm taking on tenancy as a family where the current SFI schemes aren't suitable for uplands on top of all this my son & husband diversify into drystone walling - can we have reassurance the Capital grants will be opened for this type of landscape works plus the SFI schemes and stocking rate ratios for uplands looked into?
'Minister, given that a cattle TB vaccine is not ready to deploy, and there is no evidence that vaccinating badgers will reduce TB in cattle, what is the Government's plan to ensure TB does not once again spiral out of control.'
Secretary of State, My family have been farming for centuries in West Dorset .Over 130 years at our current farm.We own 350 acres in the foothills of the two highest hills in Dorset ,Pilsdon and Lewesdon.My father passed away 4 years ago leaving my 86 year old mother as the owner of the farm.My brother and I are partners in the business and run the farm but my mother owns all the property and land.We have not had enough time to plan for this tax change and as a result of the six generations of my founding fathers we will have to come up with £1.2m in Inheritance tax if my mum passes after April 2026.Last years profit was £60,000 before we took any drawings.My question is what assets should we sell to afford the tax bill?. The land we use to grow the crops to feed the animals ,the houses we live in or the machinery and animals themselves ?