Farming on Exmoor would virtually cease if Labour’s environmental policies were adopted, the moor’s MP has warned.
Ian Liddell-Grainger says centuries of moorland farming would end abruptly if farmers were forced to take 20 per cent of their land out of food production.
The measure has already been adopted by the Labour administration in Wales. Farmers there have been told they must plant trees on 10 per cent of their land and devote another 10 per cent to habitat creation.
The new policy has sparked huge protests by the farming community, which says thousands of jobs will be lost as farm incomes fall.
Conservatives say as many as 20,000 English farms would be forced out of business were the same measure applied by a Labour government.
And, said Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Mr Liddell-Grainger, it would undoubtedly spell the end of Exmoor farming.
“Twenty per cent of land lost means 20 per cent reduction in income - less whatever meagre grants come with environmental schemes,” he said.
“With so many Exmoor farms operating on a financial tightrope the outcome is clear: those still in profit would be forced into the red and those already in the red would see an increase in their indebtedness.
“Essentially barely a viable farm would remain. And I wonder who Labour would then suggest would be responsible for the millions of pounds worth of maintenance and conservation work the farming community now carries out every year.”
Mr Liddell-Grainger said Labour was already trying to cosy up to the farming community, with Shadow environment secretary Steve Reed recently declaring it was "a huge source of shame" for him that Labour had previously ‘alienated a lot of people who live in the countryside’.
“But it would be hard to imagine a more spectacular example of humbug-flavoured crocodile tears,” he said.
“Labour is pretending it has seen the light. But its Damascene conversion would only last up to the point where it formed a Government. And once that point was reached it would be back to farmer-bashing, urged on by the likes of George Monbiot.
“I have explained to ministers what a challenge it is to farm on Exmoor and how that challenge is magnified year on year, and I know the Government is looking at ways the hill farming sector can be protected.
“In the volatile world we inhabit food production absolutely most take preference over environmental schemes with no measurable outcome. We must ensure farmers are sufficiently rewarded to carry on feeding us, not forced off the land because they can no longer afford to stay there.
