Devon's farming leaders are calling on those in the industry to cast their votes carefully in the forthcoming general election and support candidates who pledge to back British farming.

With the crucial vote now just over two weeks away, the NFU believe now is a good time to assess their commitment to agriculture.

There is also a need to increase farmers' confidence in the ability of Defra and its agencies to deliver farming support schemes promptly and efficiently.

A recent NFU report looking at the dairy sector in the South West found that farmers spent £48.7 million a year on machinery, £333 million on animal feed and £29.4 million on vets bills.

Jim Stephens, Devon NFU county chairman, said: "Farming in the West Country is at a crossroads.

"We are facing the sort of decision which only comes once in a generation, so after the election it is vital we have a ministerial team which understands the needs of agriculture.

"This support is critical to the bottom line for many farmers. We have already seen the impact that the delays in processing Basic Payment Scheme claims and the slow progress made by Natural England with Countryside Stewardship schemes have had on balance sheets.

“If these sources of income are suddenly cut off it will cause a lot of problems for many people and make it very difficult to compete with cheap imports, so we expect the new government to allow sufficient time for replacement policies to be introduced.”

Richard Tucker, vice chairman of Devon NFU, said: "We need to be asking them some serious questions about what they are planning to do to support the industry and make it clear that if sufficient answers are not forthcoming we will be casting our votes accordingly.

“It’s not a question of expecting special treatment, there are some very good reasons why we are asking election candidates to take farming seriously.

"Our industry is worth nearly £500 million to the county’s economy, directly employs more than 18,000 people and produces quality food.

"This is why it is vital that politicians give us their support.

“And of course we are not just talking about farming here, the decisions we are taking now will have an impact on the whole rural community that farming underpins.

"Everyone from machinery suppliers and seed merchants to food manufacturers and tourism businesses like campsites depend on a profitable farming sector.

“Farming is a long-term industry and younger farmers like me, who are hoping to be in the industry for many more years, we need the confidence to be able to plan for the future and invest in our businesses.”

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