The Liberal Democrats are calling for a ‘Farm First’ scheme to train graduates for careers in farming, aiming to prevent what they describe as a “lost generation” in the sector.
The scheme would be similar to Teach First, a charity which trains graduates as teachers and places them in schools.
The party estimates their proposal would cost £60m per year, funding two-year training placements for 1,000 trainees. It says the scheme could be paid for through money-raising measures including a windfall tax on big banks and increasing the Digital Services Tax, paid by big tech companies.
A Labour spokesperson said the government was “committed to supporting the farming sector”.
“We’re investing billions in the sector through supportive programmes and schemes and working closely with the Institute for Agriculture to promote careers in farming.”
“The Lib Dems had the opportunity to help farmers while in government but instead cut capital spending to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by a third and led the country into austerity.”
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat’s environment spokesperson, said his party was calling for “a fundamental cultural shift in our attitude towards farming”.
“Our Farm First scheme would treat food security with the seriousness it deserves, finally giving young people the training and incentive they need to choose farming,” he said.
“By ignoring this impending crisis and rural brain drain, they are severing the lifeline of our domestic food supply.”
Pointing to government figures suggesting that only 5% of farmers in the UK are under the age of 35, the party said urgent action was needed to encourage young people to the sector.
The numbers, published in September, found that 40% of farmers were aged over 65 and 15% were under the age of 45.
In September, an agricultural university said what it called the “Clarkson effect” had led to an 11% increase in applications for its farming course.
Will Marsh, director of external relations at the Royal Agriculture University told the Jeremy Clarkson’s Amazon Prime show, documenting his efforts to run the Diddly Squat Farm had helped boost applications.
“When you watch the programme, you can see how rewarding that career is, you can see how complicated it is and how far-reaching it is,” he said.
The Liberal Democrats are also calling for more children to be taught about nutrition and food.
“Instilling an understanding of how food is produced from a young age, making better use of food grown locally and investing in agricultural training opportunities are key to future domestic food security and to tackling poverty,” the party says.
Earlier this year a senior executive at Marks & Spencer warned that the government’s planned changes to inheritance tax would put off young people from working on a farm.
“We want to see a vibrant, viable farming structure where young people can come in and make a good living and be proud of what they do,” he told the .
“So being able to give greater surety, greater security is going to be key to viable farming structure going forward.”
The change – which has not yet come into force – would see tax charged on inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m.
Some Labour MPs have questioned the move, with around 30 believed to have abstained on an initial vote on the tax.
Markus Campbell-Savours, who represents the rural Cumbrian seat of Penrith and Solway, was suspended from the parliamentary party after voting against the plan.
The government has argued the move is a fair way to raise money for public services.
