Stuart Anderson MP is delighted to welcome the return of Back British Farming Day, an annual celebration of agriculture this year taking place on Wednesday, 9th September.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
South Shropshire is proudly home to many agricultural businesses and farms that have been in family ownership for generations. I am dedicated to listening to, supporting, and delivering for our farmers and food producers who are the powerhouse of our rural economy and the bedrock of our communities. To mark Back British Farming Day on 9th September 2026, I am delighted to join the whole country in paying tribute to their hard work and resilience in what remains a tumultuous time for the industry. Our farmers feed the nation, steward our landscapes, and sustain jobs across South Shropshire. Yet they face uncertainty over the future of farming payments, rising input costs, and trade deals that undercut British standards. They deserve certainty that the tools they need to flourish will be available. That is why I will keep standing up for them in Westminster, making sure their voice is heard loud and clear, and pressing for a long-term plan that backs food security, supports family farms, and rewards the environmental work they do."
Organised by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Back British Farming Day celebrates the hard work and dedicated efforts of the country’s farmers and growers whose high-quality produce is envied around the world. The annual campaign also recognises their integral role as stewards of the countryside and loyal supporters of rural communities. South Shropshire is home to thousands of agricultural businesses including hundreds of farms that have been in family ownership for many generations. Across the country, these businesses remain the powerhouse of the rural economy, contributing over £259 billion annually to the economy each year.
Since his election, Stuart has consistently championed the needs and aspirations of farmers in South Shropshire. Over the past year, he has made backing South Shropshire's farmers - who make up 27.4% of all businesses in the constituency - a key part of his plan for the area. This includes championing uplands farmers in Parliament and demanding fair access to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) after a third struggled to access schemes. Stuart has also called for a £1 billion uplift to the agriculture budget, a legally-binding food security target, and fairer food labelling. He has also consistently raised the importance of farm safety and rural mental health, including backing Farm Safety Week and pressing Ministers to continue the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund after McCain's Farmdex found more than half of farmers had considered leaving the industry.
The Conservatives have pledged to repeal the Family Farm Tax if returned to government, and opposed Labour’s implementation of the tax hike on 6th April 2026 as it is part of Labour’s wider assault on British farmers. In opposition, the Conservatives have also hosted an Emergency Summit for farmers and food producers and announced a review into the DEFRA quangos, like Natural England, which have become outdated.
