Backing Our Farmers Across Oxfordshire

Farming as long been the heart of Oxfordshire - producing quality food, supplying our varied industries, and sustaining rural communities - but now family farms are now under serious threat. 

The Labour Government are dealing blow after blow to our farmers, failing to see the worth they bring to our society. With rising costs, shrinking margins, environmental pressures, and government policy changes, many of our local farms are in urgent jeopardy.

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed in the Autumn Budget that drastic changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) will be going ahead. Farming groups have warned that this "Family Farm Tax" will force the sale of land and the breakup of multi-generational farms just to pay the bill, yet the Government continues not to listen to their concerns. 

Charlie has been meeting with local farmers across West Oxfordshire and the Vale to hear first-hand about the challenges they face – from flooding and rural crime to planning barriers and the closure of local abattoirs. Farmers are being asked to produce more with less, while still delivering the high-quality food we all rely on.

What are the challenges facing local farmers?

🌾 Unfair prices – Farmers aren’t being paid properly for the food they produce, while supermarket and supplier margins keep rising.

💷 Rising costs – The price of fuel, feed, and fertiliser has rocketed, putting even more pressure on farm businesses.

🌊 Flooding – Repeated flooding is damaging farmland and destroying crops, with no clear government plan to help.

🔒 Rural crime – From equipment theft to livestock worrying, crime in rural areas is leaving farmers out of pocket and feeling unsafe.

🏗️ Planning barriers – The planning system makes it too hard for farmers to diversify or make the changes they need to survive.

🏞️ Punishing taxes from the Labour Government – The "Family Farm Tax" will likely force the sale of land and the breakup of multi-generational farms just to pay the tax bill.

What is the “Family Farm Tax”, and why does it matter

From 6 April 2026, the Government has capped the amount of farm and business property that qualifies for full tax relief (under Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief). Now, only the first £1 million of combined qualifying agricultural and business assets will continue to receive 100% relief. Any value above that gets only 50% relief. The means that many farms now face a 20% tax charge on the excess.

🚜 It hits working farms, not investors - The cap applies to land, buildings, farm machinery and equipment, livestock, diversification businesses, and other business assets. This means a working, multi-generational farm could easily breach the threshold, irrespective of actual earnings.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Succession is under threat - New generations of farmers will now face the painful choice: pay an unexpected, often six-figure tax bill, or sell land or assets to meet the costs. For farms built over decades (or centuries), that risks breaking them up. This is destroying our heritage, farmers’ livelihoods and the country’s food security.

❓ Uncertainty for the future - Despite reassurances, many working farms fall above the £1 million cap. Industry bodies warn that a substantial number of commercial family farms will be affected.

What does this mean for our farmers here in West Oxfordshire and the Vale?

🏚️ Local family farms could become “asset-rich but cash-poor”, with land values high but little liquidity to pay tax bills - leaving even less at the end of the day for the farmers themselves.

👨‍🌾 Young people inheriting family farms face an unfair choice: take on huge debt or sell land/assets. This threatens farm succession, rural livelihoods, and our local food production.

🏘️ The social and environmental value of family farms is at risk. Once a farm is broken up and sold, these may be lost forever. This would likely be detrimental to biodiversity, our heritage, and, above all, our community.

😖 Given pressures from flooding, rural crime, rising costs, lack of local abattoirs and planning difficulties, these tax changes may be the final straw for many.

What is Charlie doing to help?

Charlie has been:

✔️ Challenging the Government in Parliament over policies that harm farmers, including the Family Farm Tax.
✔️ Working with local farmers  to highlight the very real pressure that local families are facing.
✔️ Campaigning for a fair deal for farmers - including better prices for their produce and stronger action on rural crime.
✔️ Calling for clarity, transparency, and long-term stability on farming support schemes so farmers can plan, invest, and pass on their livelihoods without fear of being taxed out of existence.

Charlie is determined to make sure farmers are properly supported – not undermined – so they can keep producing food, protecting our environment, and sustaining rural communities.

What can residents do to help?

There are two key ways you can stand up for local farmers:

✍️ Sign our petition to show your support for British farmers. Every signature makes it harder for the Government to ignore their concerns.

🗳️ Vote for Liberal Democrat candidates at election time, so we can keep fighting for a fair deal for farmers in West Oxfordshire and the Vale.