At the Liberal Democrats' annual conference in Brighton, the call to increase the agriculture budget to £5.6bn was a major topic of discussion.

Kicking off the party conference season, the NFU hosted a farming reception for the Liberal Democrats, focusing on the budget and the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs).

The reception was attended by over 100 people, including MPs, councillors, and key stakeholders, who gathered to hear the party's plans to support British farming.

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Speeches were delivered by NFU vice president Rachel Hallos, Liberal Democrat EFRA spokesperson Tim Farron MP, and the newly appointed chair of the EFRA committee, Alistair Carmichael MP.

A significant portion of the discussion centred around the industry's push for an improved multi-annual agriculture budget to provide farmers with greater confidence.

The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto pledged to invest in UK food production, including allocating an additional £1bn annually to adequately fund ELMs and support farming.

The NFU used the event to emphasise the need for a £5.6bn agriculture budget to ensure farmers ‘can continue to produce the raw ingredients that underpin our essential food and drink sector’.

In her opening speech, Rachel Hallos highlighted the major challenges farmers have faced in the last 18 months, which have severely impacted their confidence.

Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat EFRA spokesperson, stressed the importance of balancing food production with environmental protection. He also spoke about the particular difficulties faced by upland farmers due to the agricultural transition plan. Additionally, he called for the establishment of a Tenant Farmer Commissioner and the implementation of the Rock Review recommendations.

Farron concluded his speech by declaring the Liberal Democrats as the party for rural communities, stating, ‘it’s not about the red wall or the blue wall, but about being the party for the dry stone wall’.

Alistair Carmichael, the new EFRA chair, shared his personal experiences with farming and navigating the complexities of entering the ELMs. He highlighted the conflicting nature of some government funding schemes, particularly for farmers like himself who manage land in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Carmichael emphasised that government funding should not be framed as farm subsidies but rather as support for consumers, helping to keep food both healthy and affordable. He firmly supported the idea that food production is a public good deserving of financial backing and reiterated that farmers are essential to environmental conservation.

He closed by stating that his top priority as EFRA chair would be to scrutinise the agriculture budget and ensure the government follows through on its commitment to allocate Defra’s underspend to the new budget for farmers.

The NFU is also scheduled to attend the Labour party conference in Liverpool from September 22 - 25.