Carmichael calls for more support for farmers

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael.

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael has urged the government to to show stronger commitments to back farmers and crofters amid “uncertain” future.

“Now more than ever we need to celebrate and support the work that farmers and crofters and the agriculture industry do, not just in filling our supermarket shelves but as a lynchpin of the rural economy.

“The cost of food is one of the biggest concerns for families right now.

“Governments have to remember that what they sometimes call ‘subsidies for farmers’ are really subsidies for the food prices we pay at the shop – payments for consumers and supermarkets.

“If we want to ensure that cheap food keeps being produced in this country then we have to be realistic about how we achieve that.

“With the agricultural industry facing an uncertain future regarding the future of support payments, there is real anxiety about what the future holds,” he said.