I AM regularly out across Central Devon visiting businesses that form the backbone of our rural economy and community life.

Agriculture is not only central to our local identity but also to the sustainability of our countryside.

The enterprises supporting our farmers —suppliers, transport companies, machinery firms, and service providers— are vital to keeping our landscape productive, beautiful, and alive with opportunity.

Supporting local enterprise is the surest way to ensure our communities thrive and receive the recognition they deserve.

A highlight recently was visiting Tuckers, Devon’s long-standing independent agricultural supplier. It was a pleasure to spend time with the team at their premises near Crediton and to meet Hamish and Jason.

What struck me most was the strength of their relationship with local farmers and the sense of pride they take in their work. Tuckers has been serving West Country farmers and growers for nearly 190 years from their base at Lords Meadow, a remarkable legacy built on trust, service, and genuine community spirit.

Seeing first-hand how Tuckers supports farmers, smallholders, and the wider rural economy in the Crediton and Ashburton areas reaffirmed just how crucial such local suppliers are. They don’t simply sell goods; they share knowledge, connect people, and underpin the social fabric of rural life.

Our conversation turned naturally to the challenges the sector is facing — from rising input costs and labour shortages to uncertainty about long-term policy direction.

Many farming families are telling me they feel under growing strain. Feed, fertiliser, and fuel costs remain high, eroding already tight margins.

The unpredictable weather has hit yields, and concerns over livestock disease and environmental regulation add to the daily worry.

For many in Devon, farming isn’t just a business, it is a way of life passed down through generations. Yet increasingly, that way of life feels under threat.

We cannot ignore the pressure created by the Labour government’s economic strategy. The rise in employer National Insurance contributions — the so-called “Jobs Tax” — adds £25 billion to the national cost of employing people. That is money that rural businesses could invest in equipment, apprenticeships, or expanding their services, but is now being siphoned off instead.

Equally alarming are proposals to reform Agricultural Property Relief, what many are calling the “Family Farm Tax.” It risks forcing farming families to sell land to meet inheritance tax bills, threatening the future of multi-generational farms.

I will continue to oppose these damaging policies and to champion the rural businesses, traders, and farmers who keep Central Devon working. Supporting them is not just good economics — it is an investment in the very soul of our countryside.

Sir Mel Stride

MP for Central Devon