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Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP - According to Strutt and Parker, in their most recent Estates and Farmland Market Review, non-farmers bought more than half the farms and estates sold on the open market, in England in 2023 – with farmers accounting for the lowest level of transactions on record. We now know, from Defra, that a non-farming land owner can remove their tenant and then register themselves and claim the SFI and many other agricultural and environmental grants. How do we protect the farming community and tenants in particular?

Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP - Can Agriculture thrive without secure affordable tenancies for new entrants

"How should British fruit and veg businesses plan for next year when we have no clarity on our Seasonal Workers Scheme. The scheme needs to be made permanent and the cap on the number of workers removed. When will you make an announcement?"

Many upland farmers are under financial pressure and struggling to replace BPS as it is being phased out. SFI only provides limited opportunities permanent pasture both in the uplands and lowlands. Some permanent pastures around me have been there for decades: they are rich with biodiversity and are an important carbon store. Why then, is SFI encouraging the ploughing up of “old land” grassland with herbal or leguminous leys? Is this the right outcome?

»Ê¼Ò»ªÈËhas rightly set ambitious targets for net zero by 2040. With current low farm profitability, how can a future government help the industry achieve this.

As a Dairy Farmer, may I be the first to thank you and your team for the efforts put into the SI which you have announced today. I hope my fellow dairy farmers will welcome it with the same enthusiasm and truly now use this opportunity to negotiate terms for the supply of their milk for fair reward. There is however still work to be done, there are only two Dairy Producer Organisations in the UK, for the better treatment of suppliers to truly work , we need funding to help set up and run more DPOs so that farmers can work collaboratively towards better terms and conditions. Can you give me that assurance today that you will work with us and to look at funding options as the time to start negotiation is now very near.

If we lived in Wales Daniel might have been talking for the Welsh Conservatives. Assuming we get a UK Labour Government later this year will they put pressure on Welsh Labour to bring some common sense to SFS?

The treatment of British farmers by supermarkets is a disgrace. How would the parties sort them out ?

We have heard much talk during this conference about fairness in the supply chain – and one of the starkest examples where this is sorely lacking is in the sugar sector. Sugar beet growers have no choice in where they sell their crop, and so there is legislation in place to protect growers from the single beet processor abusing its dominant market position. But last November that legislation was ignored, with the processor trying to bypass negotiations with the NFU as the growers’ representative. Will all of the panellists commit to reviewing that legislation, to make sure it is fit for purpose and so will ensure unilateral offers to growers by the processor are not permitted?

Farmers in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire have suffered mental and financial hardship due to the series of serious storms and flooding this autumn/winter. Many of these areas are drained by man-made engineered systems and local teams are under pressure to deliver multiple environmental benefits, how can the government ensure that these systems are maintained effectively to support food production and rural communities? And moreover will additional funding for catchments hit by winter storms be made available to get watercourses, that are currently below required condition, back up to capacity to prepare for climate change and future storms?

It is likely that the number of confirmed cases of Bluetongue 3 in England will soon exceed 100. Whilst the spread has been confined, spring time midge activity will undoubtedly increase the threat to our national sheep flock and cattle population Will the Minister commit to convening an industry round table, much like you did with AI so we can ensure there is a joined up approach to tackling this disease? And to all the panel, how will you ensure government has a role in improving our state of readiness for emerging diseases?

Rt Hon Daniel Zeichner MP - For how much longer are you going to keep rural voters in the dark about your policies?

Can we please check with Labour whether the statement on low quality imports was a commitment to our ask ‘for core standards’ that make those imports illegal.

We were promised that the money taken off BPS would be returned to farmers but we see it going to NGOs like the RSPB and National Trust. When can we expect to get it back?

We are lifetime tenant farmers who have faced uncertainty for almost 4 years of losing much of our livelihood and business to a solar application by a commercial developer. If the application was to be granted, this would leave us with an unviable farm and little by way of compensation. Is it right that agricultural holding act tenants can be evicted, against their will, from their land in order to facilitate, for example, solar energy?

It has been pointed out by the Minister that farmers could and should be rewarded for storing water on their land to protect other businesses and local communities. However we are not being rewarded. How quickly would the three parties introduce such financial support?

How should British fruit and veg businesses plan for next year when we have no clarity on our Seasonal Workers Scheme. The scheme needs to be made permanent and the cap on the number of workers removed. When will you make an announcement?

A question for the Minister, why isn't the computer system working adequately for the SFI applications and applicants able to contact the RPA and get responses from their staff. Up to 20% of applications are not going through, the delays in approval of these schemes are costing farmers in delayed payments

Following the EA’s closure report, abstractors in the Norfolk Broads are facing the consequences of the cessation of 24 licences. This will result in massive reductions in vegetable and soft fruit production, as well as potential business failure and the loss of hundreds of food manufacturing jobs in the local area. Currently there are also thousands of hectares in the Broads that are sitting under water due to a lack of bank maintenance by the EA.. How does the minister envisage funding local water abstractor groups to square this circle and make best use of this valuable water resource for the nation’s food supply?

Minister, as you may be aware, some landlords are using SFI as an opportunity to dispose of tenants and take land back in hand, significantly reduce or eliminate agricultural production and use their land in a cynical manner to farm payments. With over 30% of agricultural land in the UK being tenanted, this has the potential to do significant damage to future national food security, productivity resilience and rural communities. Can the minister please respond; is this problem recognised by government? Could active farmer tests and the tax regime be used to ensure that payments are made to those actively involved in agriculture, and in so doing ensure a long term balanced mixture of food production and environmental goods?

I and most farmers I speak to agree that ‘public money for public goods’ is a sensible model for agricultural subsidies. Does the panel agree that UK produced food is itself a public good for the UK population? If so, will you each commit to more funding streams in ELMS that put public money directly into the public good that is food?

After the recent demonstration of the primacy of the Labour Party’s fiscal rules, does Daniel Zeichner accept that for ELM to maximise its contribution to the statutory environmental targets, funding will need to be targeted at the more ambitious, darker-green tiers of the scheme?

Is 100% public procurement of British food to feed our hospitals,schools and prisons achievable?

Avian Influenza has caused devastation to many farming businesses. I am part of a group of NFU members who brought a successful judicial review challenge to APHA’s compensation policy. In open court APHA’s barrister stated that Government just wanted clarity on the law, and in January the High Court gave you its answer – that your policy is unlawful. Now I’m asking you for clarity – why haven’t I had my full compensation yet?

For many young farmers, accessing land as capital is increasingly difficult. Therefore, growing our stock numbers is the most important way to have some capital and build our businesses. SFI and environmental incentives, such as tree planting and destocking on moorland, are encouraging stock to be taken off the land which is leaving young farming businesses economically vulnerable and struggling to grow. Isn’t it about time that government supports young farmers in growing their businesses so we can feed the nation and protect our landscapes for decades to come, rather than purely focusing on a public facing green agenda?

• You've all made it clear that fairness in the supply chain is critically important. • In the UK's domestic sugar beet sector growers have no choice of where to sell their beet, as there is only one processor. • There is, therefore, specific legislation which should protect growers from any attempt by the processor to abuse its market dominance. • But last November that legislation was bypassed, as the processor argued it could contract directly with growers, rather than through their representative body, the NFU. • My question is: will each of you commit to clarifying the current legislation to remove any ambiguities, and to confirm that unilateral offers by the processor are not permitted?

When will the National Action Plan be published?

1. Where are the Labour party?! 2. What is your one policy area that will have the greatest positive impact on farmers' profitability and ability to reinvest?

Environment is always very important in a manifesto, yet land is always being concreted over. What are the panel setting to impose to prevent building on flood areas and protecting Green Belt and AONB zones?

Many businesses who have farms in Protected landscapes have benefited from the current FIPL grant scheme, at last there has been a scheme that recognises the restrictions that farms like mine have to work with and provides funding for innovative schemes to further enhance the environment. Is there a commitment to continue funding is this area?

Can British Tomato growers expect that the new border controls on plants for planting, due to come in on 30th April, be abolished. We cannot have our young plants inspected in the same location as the inspection of virus infected imported tomatoes

Question to Daniel: I find it hard to take any of your promises and pledges with any credibility as a labour government in wales has a massive anti farming agenda. If labour come into power this year will you take control of the authoritarian welsh labour government who are trying their hardest to ruin welsh farming businesses and family’s

What do the gentlemen think of a carbon tax on all food entering the country

To all the panel One of the many recommendations of the Rock Review was for a tenants commissioner, will you implement this ?

Will all parties commit to continue with the current badger culls to continue to control bovine TB?

Brexit has damaged the UK economy by at least 4% of GDP. Which political party will campaign to rejoin the EU first, or at least rejoin the Single Market and Customs Union?

What action should the government take to protect the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land to development and the hard-working tenant farmers on that land?

We are lifetime tenant farmers who have faced uncertainty for almost 4 years of losing much of our livelihood and business to a solar application by a commercial developer. If the application was to be granted, this would leave us with an unviable farm and little by way of compensation. Is it right that agricultural holding act tenants can be evicted, against their will, from their land in order to facilitate, for example, solar energy?

76% of the country believe at least half of all food served in the public sector (schools, hospitals, prisons, etc) should be British. What has happened to the National Food Strategy and Government Buying Standards s for Food?

For Tim Farron. I live in a Conservative/Liberal Democrat margin constituency. I have friends who vote for both parties. I’ve noticed that quite a few of my LD friends are vegan or vegetarian, whereas none of the conservatives are. Why do you think this is Tim?

The level of financial support for British agriculture has been static at £3bn for many years, and so in real terms has diminished dramatically. For UK agriculture to be adequately supported to continue producing food to the standards that our consumers expect, alongside environmental protection and enhancement, does the budget need to be increased to £4bn or beyond?

When are the details of the Farming (flooding) Recovery Fund going to be known? The extreme weather across the country since October has left acres and acres of land badly damaged by excess water, especially within the East Midlands. The carnage is all uninsurable and will have to be put right before any further cropping can be contemplated

The PM and Alan Lovell chair of the EA both announced yesterday that there would be £75million of additional funding for IDB’s, where is the detail on that announcement?

When the NAP is published, what assurances could each of the panel provide, to ensure that a GB pesticide regime would improve access to the crop protection products that GB farmers and growers need to be more productive, and would not introduce approaches that placed them at any disadvantage compared to their European competitors.

There have been suggestions that alignment of SPS would solve or improve the problems of : The Northern Ireland trade situation The upcoming border standards control for food imports Uk animal and plant bio security How do the various parties view this suggestion?

Minister Spencer, Reclassification of Beans and Oats out of minor use status for plant protection product access has created a huge physical and financial burden for growers, and flies in the face of promoting no-till practice and producing UK grown sustainable proteins. Minister, I know you're aware of the situation and I am asking what assurances you can give to remedy the issue?

Minister Spencer, It is now exactly 3 years to the week since I submitted my consultation response to Government on the National Action Plan. Given the necessity for effective balanced regulatory control to allow an underpinning of food security in UK, why have we not seen the launch yet, and how can we be assured that all the necessary plant protection tools will be accessible to us? Where is that effective plan Minister?

National Framework 2 for water resources is aiming to be a multi sector plan. There are currently proposals to fund the agricultural water plan by levying all abstractors. Can the minister give us the guarantee that this abstractor’s money will be available at local catchment level to fund local water abstractor groups or WAGS to carry out the necessary water resource planning, and that they will not be lost in large regional bodies?

Following the EA’s closure report in June 2022 in the Ant valley, abstractors have been faced with licence revocations in September 2024. Anglian Water have been able to increase abstraction from their licences higher up in the catchment whilst agricultural licences in the same catchment have been capped or reduced. Why is increased public water rated ahead of water to feed the public? Does the minister believe this is fair?

The Dairy Export Strategy aims to boost exports, improve market access and reduce barriers to trade. Adding value to the dairy supply chain is essential so it has been great to see the industry & government departments working together. The PM announced last year a £1m dairy export fund to promote British dairy which was a welcome commitment recognising the trading opportunities there are in the sector. Will you, commit to continue working with us and back the dairy export programme throughout the next Parliament, boosting the export of sustainably produced, high welfare and nutritious British dairy products around the world?

Does the minister agree that, in order to safeguard food security, tenant tenure and the limited ELM budget, a cap should be applied to certain whole-field options such as AB15 legume fallow to avoid too much land leaving agricultural production?

The UK relies on over 40% of our food being imported from around the world. In the event of war escalating into Europe how would you ensure food security in the UK.

Both access to water and too much water is of huge concern to farmers in Norfolk, this winter we have faced flood issues across the broads the impact on farms of which has been increased due to lack of investment and maintenance of the banks on our watercourses. At the same time we are being told that we are using too much water from the environment to produce food and may have to reduce our abstraction license volume in the coming years. What assurance can you give me and farmers of Norfolk that we will be protected from future flood events and be able to continue producing horticultural crops to feed the nation.