Stuart Anderson MP has vowed to continue to be a proud champion of farmers across South Shropshire in Parliament, as he takes part in Back British Farming Day on 10th September 2025.
The annual event, which was launched in 2015, celebrates the significant contribution that Britain's food and farming sector makes to the economy and communities across the country.
Nationally, the food and farming industry generates £120 billion for the UK economy each year. As part of his six-point plan for South Shropshire, Stuart has pledged to champion local farmers.
It comes as the Farmer Opinion Tracker has found that farmers on 72% of holdings are "not at all confident" that government policies will lead to a successful future.
Stuart started his career as a farm hand in rural Herefordshire. In March 2024, Stuart launched a centralised support portal to quickly and easily find help that is available to them.
However, Stuart has expressed his frustration that the new government has either closed or not renewed a raft of farmer support schemes. This includes the following initiatives:
- Farming Investment Fund
- Farming Resilience Fund
- Precision Feeding Competition
- Low Emissions Farming Competition
- Natural Environment Readiness Fund
- Forestry and Arboriculture Fund
- Woodland Carbon Guarantee Scheme
- Smaller Abattoirs Fund
Most recently, the National Farmers' Union has warned that farmers face a 'financial cliff-edge' as 5,830 Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreements will end in December if they are not renewed.
Subsequently, Stuart has urged Ministers to continue the agreements that are designed to restore, protect, and enhance the environment for another year to ensure a smooth transition.
Stuart has also called for Ministers to publish details on a "reformed offer" that had been promised after the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) closed to new applications earlier in the year.
In May, Stuart expressed his frustration that the scheme had unexpectedly closed. In a statement on 12th May 2025, the Minister admitted that an "error was made when the current scheme was closed to new applications."
The scheme was reinstated for applications that had been started within two months of 11 March 2025. This meant that farmers who started an application on or after 12th January 2025 were given six weeks to complete it.
The Capital Grants Scheme has also been closed to new applications. The government has stated that it has "completed" its investment in the "future of farming", after it received more than 8,000 applications in just five weeks.
Stuart has said that the uncertainty about future support exacerbates problems caused by the Family Farms Tax, which will remove inheritance tax relief on farms with assets over £1 million from April 2026.
In August, Stuart renewed his opposition to the policy after a government impact assessment will have "material impact on food security" because of "the UK’s ability to source imports from international markets."
This week, Marks and Spencer warned against the changes and called for "a clear and concrete target to increase the proportion of indigenous foods eaten in the UK that are grown in the UK."
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“On Back British Farming Day, I am pleased to renew my commitment to champion farmers in South Shropshire. Farmer confidence has dropped to its lowest-ever level under this government, which has caused chaos and uncertainty for Britain’s food producers at every turn while it has closed a raft of support schemes that the Conservatives founded. More than 6,000 farms have already closed under this government. Now, thousands of farmers face a financial cliff-edge as countryside stewardship agreements expire in December. This uncertainty undermines national food security, which is needed to keep the nation healthy and well-fed. Ministers should continue the agreements for another year and publish details on the reformed Sustainable Farming Incentive offer that was promised as soon as possible."
