Food should be political priority, farmers say

Farmers in Sussex say food production is not being prioritised by politicians as they battle to secure votes in rural seats.

The latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show food production provides 45,500 jobs and £813m to the economy of the South East and London.

But the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) says political candidates are not mentioning food and farming as they campaign ahead of the general election on 4 July.

Rural constituencies will be a key election battleground as Conservatives defend “blue wall” seats targeted by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Caroline Harriott, who farms dairy and beef cattle and sheep at Broomhurst Farm in Lyminster, near Arundel and is the NFU representative for West Sussex, said: “They need to have food and food production and rural economy at the centre of what they’re talking about.

"We’re not hearing it in the debates, we’re not hearing it when we’re talking to the parliamentary candidates.

“We eat three meals a day. We as farmers want to produce those three meals a day. We don’t want to be importing them," she said.

"We want to be environmentally friendly, but have food production at the heart of what we do.”

Rural voters have more power than ever before to shape the next government.

Farmers say they want food security to be much higher up the parliamentary agenda.

Tom Gribble, who is a dairy, beef, sheep and arable farmer in Firle, near Lewes in East Sussex, says a lack of certainty in the industry creates challenges.

“We deal with so much instability. The milk price from 55p a litre back down to 35p a litre, back down to 42p., and the fertiliser price all over the shop," he said.

“The wheat price has highs of £280 down to £180, and we’re putting it in the ground and we don’t know what we’re getting paid for it 12 months later.”

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