URGENT action is needed to help farmers cope with soaring energy costs and labour shortages, says a Cheshire MP.

Esther McVey has urged the Government to increase the number of visas for seasonal agricultural workers from 30,000 to 50,000.

The Tatton MP said the pandemic, cost of living crisis and the conflict in Ukraine had made food security more important than ever.

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The Conservative former cabinet minister was speaking in Parliament during a backbench business debate on National Food Strategy.

Farmers are facing energy bills rising by 400 per cent, she said, and a rise of 150 per cent in the cost of fertiliser and red diesel.

Despite the difficulties, she praised Cheshire farmers who had achieved great success.

Ms McVey said: “Tatton farmers and producers are hard-working, dedicated to the sector, industrious and experts in their field, with many generations of experience and they want to help solve the food security issues that this country is facing.”

She cited examples of agricultural excellence in her constituency, including The Lambing Shed Farm Shop and Kitchen, Delamere Dairy, The Cheshire Smokehouse, Bexton Cheese, The Mobberley Ice Cream Company, Great Budworth Real Dairy Ice Cream Farm and Seven Sisters Ice cream.

One family business, APS Group in Alderley Edge is using cutting edge sophistication to produce fresh produce.

Ms McVey said: "APS is developing robotics for tomato production, starting with harvesting through to packaging.

"It is putting significant money and research into this development to cope with the lack of people now coming to work in the farming sector.

"However, these robots will not be ready for four to five years, so it need help now to be able to deliver on its commitment to supply tomatoes for the country."

This company is also making compostable packaging and has developed a combined heat and power plant which supplies 3MW power to Alderley Edge and uses the waste heat and carbon dioxide from that to grow their crop."

She urged the Government to look at ways of incentivising British businesses like this who are striving to improve the industry.

The MP also called for greater clarity on food labelling.

She added: “Buying British and locally, for me that means buying from Cheshire, it is important not just because of the high husbandry standards of UK food but the low transport mileage to get from field to fork.

“As my beef and sheep farmers say, it is better to have high-quality beef and lamb from Cheshire than chickpeas from halfway around the world.”