EDM 813: Supporting British farmers

That this House recognises the vital contribution of British farmers to food security, environmental protection, and rural communities; notes with great concern that 30% of farms failed to make profit in 2023/24 and the UK has seen a 5.8% decline in dairy producers; acknowledges farmers are being forced to diversify due to poor profitability; calls on the Government to support farmers’ efforts to diversify alongside their work in food production; further calls on the Government to increase the farming budget by £1 billion a year; also calls for fairer trade deals post-Brexit that protect farming standards and ensure British farmers are not undercut; highlights the urgent need to support farmers facing extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as flooding and droughts, to maintain national food security; further notes the financial strain on family farms due to Inheritance Tax changes, and understands that the new exemption of only the first £1 million in agricultural and business assets leaves many family farms vulnerable; further highlights the case of a brother and sister in West Dorset, who are seventh generational dairy farmers, who will face a tax bill of £400,000 upon their mother's passing, which will exceed their annual profits; calls on supermarkets to prioritise paying farmers fairly rather than prioritising profit; and further calls for the introduction of a fairer food supply chain, greater investment in agricultural technology, stronger mental health support for farmers, and protections for high-quality farmland to support domestic food production.