British farmers are the best in the business yet every year we're expecting them to do even more. From reducing flooding to reversing the decline in our biodiversity and tackling climate change, all while producing the food on our plate.听
But the Conservative's are failing our farmers, leaving many on their knees. From botched trade deals to workforce shortages, Sunak's government just keeps making things worse, despite promising to make things better.听
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Only the Liberal Democrats have a bold plan to deliver the change British farmers deserve - starting with our 拢1 billion boost to the agricultural budget and ending the penny pinching by the Tories.
This will be an听 investment in sustainable food production, providing farmers with the technology they need to future-proof our food sources, bringing down prices for the long-term, while helping boost nature-friendly farming.
Under the Conservatives and their arbitrary visa rules, the food that farmers have worked so hard to produce is often left rotten in the field, simply because听 they can't hire the staff to harvest it. According to the NFU 拢60 million worth of fruit and vegetables went to waste in the first half of 2022 alone due to labour shortages. This is simply unacceptable.
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We cannot afford to stand idly by. The Liberal Democrats will fix the work visa rules, allowing farmers and food processors to recruit the workers they need to boost our food supply.听
British farming standards are some of the best in the world, but the Tories have broken their promises to protect our farmers in trade deals. They've signed agreements with Australia and New Zealand听 that undermine British farming standards, allowing the import of food that doesn't meet our high environmental or animal welfare standards.听
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Liberal Democrats will听 renegotiate these deals to protect British farmers and we'll pass new laws to ensure this can never happen again. Liberal Democrats will hand over more power to Parliament to approve trade deals giving more protections to our environment and food security.
In every corner of the UK, from the Highlands of Scotland to the fields of Cornwall, the message is clear - farmers deserve better. Our farmers are the stewards of our countryside, the people we need to improve our biodiversity and tackle climate change, all while producing the food for our plate. The Conservatives simply don't get it. It doesn't have to be this way. The British people have the opportunity of a lifetime to show the Conservative's the door at the General Election. Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for a local champion who will fight for rural communities and give farmers the fair deal they deserve.
