Shropshire Farming Talk: Taking stock and looking to the future

Previously, I talked about how resilient farmers and their businesses are, and I think that it is poignant to highlight this again now. It is vital we stay resilient in the face of adversity; I believe a healthy rural economy relies on a healthy agricultural sector. 

From Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMs) which based on early feedback seem to have been well accepted, to successful rural crime initiatives, to the launch of our general election missions, we hit the ground running in January and have not stopped. 

One of the most exciting highs for this year was the political engagement meetings we held across the region leading up to the general election. 

We gave constituents from rural areas the opportunity to meet with their members of parliament (MP’s) and prospective parliamentary candidates (PPC’s) to discuss issues affecting them, their families and businesses, spotlighting matters which were important to them. 

The agendas for these meetings were led by specific matters within that constituency and our six missions; Profitable and sustainable farming; Affordable homes in every community; Tackling rural crime; Delivering economic growth in rural areas; Responsible access for all and a fully connected countryside. 

Following a difficult Autumn Budget, it would appear that the government expect farmers to farm sustainably and produce food, but with little help, whilst being squeezed from all angles. The government has hit vital inheritance tax reliefs and kept the agriculture budget at the same level since 2014.

Defra also poses a challenge with its proposal to accelerate reductions in delinked payments. Those receiving the remaining direct payments expected to see a gradual decline over the final three years. This proposal will have a huge impact for farmers across the Midlands, affecting cash flow projections and cropping.

While the government’s commitment to the rollout of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes is welcome news, it will not be enough to deliver its ambition for nature or support the full potential of the industry. 

We are continuing to hold meetings with constituents and MPs to ensure that the rural voice is heard. 

Rural crime is always a hot topic for farming and rural communities, particularly with the increase in organised crime gangs surrounding theft and hare coursing. At the beginning of the year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) released fly tipping figures showing that there were more than a million incidents in the previous year. Later in April, the CLA welcomed the ringfencing of fines, ensuring that money raised from fixed penalty notices would be spent on local clean up and enforcement. The CLA also managed to secure a pledge from Labour to establish a rural crime strategy following intense lobbying. 

We have welcomed Police Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to our recent round of county committee meetings, where they discussed their strategies for tackling rural crime across various counties. 

It was a joy to be able to attend more agricultural shows and it pleased me to see that they really are still at the heart of the farming community, providing a rare opportunity to spend some time away from the day to day routine. We all understand how important mental health and wellbeing is, particularly now, and shows and community events are important for providing relief for this.

I hope that early in 2025 we will have answers to some of the questions being posed by farming and rural communities, and that we can build on the positive outcomes from this year. We will continue to lobby in parliament on your behalf to ensure our sector is able to fulfil its full potential.  

Merry Christmas and I wish you a prosperous New Year! 

by Sophie Dwerryhouse, CLA Midlands Regional Director