DEVON County Council (DCC) are calling on the Government to safeguard the future of farming.

It comes as Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin - a fifth-generation sheep farmer - whose family continues to farm land in rural Torrington - led a motion emphasising the vital role farming plays in Devon.

Cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Councillor Cottle-Hunkin highlighted the essential role farming plays in Devon’s economy, environment and food security, while warning of the growing pressures facing the sector.

Devon’s farmers manage more than 1.7 million hectares of land, with grazing livestock and dairy farms making up nearly 55 per cent of holdings, according to Government figures.

Yet, the region saw a 32 per cent drop in total income from farming in 2023, with milk and beef remaining the largest contributors.

Common to many farming families across the country, Cllr Cottle-Hunkin expressed concern about the proposed changes to family farm taxation and the abrupt closure of ‘Sustainable Farming Incentive’ (SFI) applications, both of which have, she says, created uncertainty and great emotional distress.

Councillors are urging the Government to reinstate the Sustainable Farming Incentive with enough funding and long-term support to enable farmers to plan with confidence and continue their role as environmental stewards.

But, she also drew attention to rising mental health challenges within the farming industry.

A recent study found that 91 per cent of UK farmers consider poor mental health the ‘biggest hidden problem’ in the industry, with many working more than 60 hours a week and facing rural isolation.

Councillor Cottle-Hunkin said: ‘We urge the government to think again and reintroduce the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme, with sufficient funding and long-term support.

‘This is to ensure that farm businesses can plan with confidence, while continuing the good work that farmers do and have done for the environment, driving towards our aspirations for carbon reduction and biodiversity alongside quality food production.

‘The proposed changes to family farm inheritance tax rules would threaten the very future of family-run farms across Devon.

‘We urge Government to reverse these changes and safeguard the future of the family farm model.

‘Farming is the backbone of Devon’s rural life.

‘Here at Devon’s County Hall we fully understand the pressures our farming community is facing, and we will work tirelessly to make sure their voices are heard loud and clear by those making the decisions in Westminster’.

Councillor Henry Gent said that ensuring that children from an early age had an understanding and appreciation of farming and where their food comes from was vital and he urged the Government to include it in the school curriculum.

Chairman of the Farms Estates Committee, Councillor Gent said: ‘In today’s world, understanding where our food comes from and how it’s produced is more important than ever.

‘As environmental concerns grow and the focus on sustainability increases, educating future generations about sustainable food production is essential and that’s why events like Farmwise* are so essential’.

Supported by Councillor Gent, Councillor Cottle-Hunkin has now written to Government calling for:

• Fair trade deals that protect UK standards;

• Agriculture to be embedded in the school curriculum;

• Continued support for Devon’s Farmwise initiative* and County Farm Estate;

• Reinstatement of the grant to support the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs;

• Reversal of proposed changes to family farm taxation;

• Renewed investment in mental health services for farmers;

• Support for agri-business technology to boost productivity and sustainability