NORTH Cornwall’s MP is asking local farmers how financial uncertainty is affecting their work.

Ben Maguire, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, has asked to hear from the area’s farmers regarding the struggles they are facing when it comes to funding.

Mr Maguire announced that he plans to meet with the farming minister, Daniel Zeichner, to discuss a lack of spending.

He explained: “Shockingly, over the last three years the agricultural support budget with DEFRA has been underspent by £350-million.

“This is money that will likely be lost to farming at the budget, and with the new delinked Basic Payments Scheme being halved again this year, there is a real risk of this being repeated.

“I know that many farmers in North Cornwall are struggling with the transition of agricultural support from the old Basic Payment Scheme to the new ELMS schemes. There is a severe lack of information on how farms can move across with rules and guidance still unpublished and no clarity around when it will be made available.

“I am meeting with the farming minister - Daniel Zeichner - in a few weeks and would like to hear directly from you about how this uncertainty is personally affecting your business.”

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