West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed confirmation that the Government has backed local farmers with over £10 million of financial support over the last year.

The Government has delivered national support totalling £2.4 billion replacing the schemes offered as part of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy.

The schemes are helping local farmers and food producers to cut red tape and helping them to make their businesses more successful while ensuring food security and encouraging environmentally responsible farming techniques.

The measures were announced during a speech made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who attended the annual National Farmers Union conference in Birmingham.

Harriett said:

“I regularly meet with farmers, horticultural businesses and food producers from across West Worcestershire and they always share their detailed concerns.

“Price spikes have meant that farmers have faced high fuel bills, rocketing energy costs and very expensive fertilizer costs, yet in parallel the Government has been rolling out financial support schemes to try to make their tasks more manageable.

“Latest figures from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs show that local businesses were able to access over £10 million of support in the form of grants and rural payments.

“Farming is a crucial business in our own rural economy and I am pleased to see that the Prime Minister is putting farming issues first as together, we identify the best way to support these hard-working people.”