Supporting Our Local Farmers

Farming sits at the heart of life for many in North East Fife. From small family farms to larger dairy and arable operations, our agricultural sector provides local jobs, sustains our rural communities, and puts high-quality Scottish produce on our tables. But over the past year, many farmers have told me they are facing some of the toughest conditions they have experienced in decades.

One of the biggest pressures right now is the rising cost of dairy production. Feed, fuel and fertiliser prices have all remained high, and while wholesale milk prices have increased in recent months, that doesn’t necessarily translate into better margins for farmers. Many dairy farmers are still struggling to break even. When the cost of producing a litre of milk exceeds the price farmers receive, something is fundamentally wrong in the supply chain. Despite costing more in supermarkets, the money is not reaching the pockets of the dairy farmers who produced it.

Earlier this year, my colleague Alistair Carmichael MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, introduced a Bill to strengthen the Groceries Code Adjudicator and ensure farmers receive a fairer share of the price paid at the checkout. We rely on these farmers every day – it is only fair that they can rely on a stable and sustainable income in return.

Alongside these immediate financial challenges, farmers are also worried about longer-term changes being proposed to inheritance tax and Agricultural Property Relief (APR). For generations, APR has recognised the unique nature of farming: that land isn’t just an asset, but a working environment passed down through families who have cared for it and relied on it for their livelihoods.

The reforms that are set to come into force in April 2026 completely undermine this principal and risks forcing family farms to sell land simply to meet tax obligations. Once we lose those farms, we don’t get them back. I’ve heard from North East Fife farmers who fear that the changes to APR could threaten succession plans and put future food production at risk. These concerns are real, and they deserve to be taken seriously.

That’s why I’ve been raising these issues directly in Parliament. Farmers need clarity, not uncertainty. They need fair prices, not squeezed margins. And they deserve policies that support family farming, not ones that make it harder for the next generation to continue the work their parents and grandparents started.

North East Fife’s farmers contribute enormously to our economy, our landscape and our community. I’ll continue standing up for them and making sure that their voices are heard.