Dorset MP Vikki Slade has urged the Government to step up its support for farming as part of Back British Farming Day.
The Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole said farmers were being left behind at a time when rural communities face major challenges.
She called for scrapping what her party describes as the “Family Farm Tax,” restoring Defra funding for Young Farmers’ Clubs, and introducing mandatory country-of-origin labelling on all beef products, including in restaurants and large shops.
Her comments came after the Government approved 13,000 tonnes of tariff-free beef imports from the United States, which critics warn could undercut British farmers with cheaper and lower-standard products.
Defra has also withdrawn long-standing funding for the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, which has supported more than 23,000 young people across England and Wales, including seven clubs in Dorset. The grant had been in place for over 30 years.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Vikki Slade said: “We need farm security if we want food security, so what steps is the Minister taking to look after farmers on our very smallest farms, who are critical to food production?”
She also invited the Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to visit Goodens Farm in Wareham to see innovation in local farming. She warned that reductions to schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive risk leaving farmers without the support they need just as they deal with the pressures of climate change.
Marking the tenth anniversary of Back British Farming Day, Vikki Slade met NFU President Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru President Aled Jones in Westminster, where she reaffirmed her commitment to backing Dorset’s farmers.
She said: “British farmers put food on our tables and keep our rural economy alive, but this Government keeps selling them short. Dorset’s farmers are innovators and custodians of our countryside, and they deserve proper backing.”
