Lincolnshire is synonymous with farming in a way few other counties can compete, writes Grantham and Bourne MP Gareth Davies (Con).
As I repeatedly make clear in the House of Commons, farmers are at the centre of our community both culturally and economically.
That’s why on Back British Farming Day next Wednesday, September 9, I’ll be joining Lincolnshire farmers and the NFU in raising awareness of their contribution to our country. It also represents an important opportunity to recognise the challenges they face and to consider what more can be done to support them.
This year has been one of the toughest that farmers have ever faced. This week, the Met Office confirmed that this summer has been the hottest recorded in British history. Prolonged dry weather plunged nearly three-quarters of England into official drought status, creating ongoing challenges that I have previously set out in my column. At the same time of course, farmers have also experienced an extraordinarily wet winter, one that left essential British crops at risk.
What makes these conditions particularly concerning is that they come alongside growing financial burden. Input costs such as fertiliser and fuel relating to the Ukraine war or labour and employment on the back of the Government’s National Insurance tax rise have risen significantly. Farmers are simultaneously facing the Family Farm Tax, a policy which I have consistently opposed in Parliament and on national media. They are being asked to do more in increasingly difficult circumstances, all while facing greater costs and uncertainty.
This matters because farming is not an industry that we can afford to take for granted. Our farmers are responsible for managing 71% of our land, while contributing £153.2 billion to the economy and supporting 4.2 million jobs. Clearly, farming is a fundamental part of our nation’s prosperity.
The importance of farming is most clear here in Lincolnshire. The agricultural sector contributes around £1.5 billion in direct agricultural output, supports around 75,000 jobs, and accounts for roughly three-quarters of our county's land use.
This is why any harm to farmers affects us all.
If farmers cannot produce food sustainably and profitably, the consequences are felt throughout the country. It can mean greater reliance on imported food, increased exposure to global shocks, higher prices for consumers, and greater pressure on the businesses that depend on agriculture.
Most importantly, it threatens Britain’s national resilience. Recent years have shown just how quickly particular circumstances, such as international conflict or extreme weather, can affect the food on our shelves. Supporting British farmers is therefore not solely about supporting one industry or one part of the country. It is about protecting our national security and ensuring that future generations can continue to produce food here in Britain.
I will continue to stand up for Lincolnshire's farmers, not just on Back British Farming Day, but throughout the year. That means continuing to fight to fully scrap the Family Farms Tax, removing the tax on fertilisers, and closing the Union Jack labelling loophole so that shoppers can put British farmers first.
Farmers deserve a Government that recognises their contribution, listens to their concerns, and gives them the certainty they need to invest and continue feeding our nation.
