Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has claimed Sir Keir Starmer would put Britain’s food security at risk if he got the keys to Number 10.
The UK would be forced to import more than half of its food under Labour’s blueprint for Britain, Mr Barclay warned.
His intervention comes just hours before voters head to the polls in a general election that is expected to produce a landslide victory for Sir Keir’s party.
A new Conservative analysis of Labour’s approach to agriculture suggests the UK would be left in a position where it produces less than half the food it eats.
Britain’s domestic food production currently sits at about 60% – but the Tories have warned if Labour adopted its controversial approach from Wales, which Sir Keir has described as a “blueprint”, along with changes to agricultural property relief, the UK could be producing just 43.8% of its food.
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Responding, Mr Barclay said: “Food security is national security, but by failing to understand the rural economy a Labour Government would put this at risk.
“Only the Conservatives have a plan to back our farmers, ensure our rural economy thrives and protect our food security.”
Labour dismissed Mr Barclay’s claims as “yet more desperate nonsense” and said farmers had been “abandoned by this Conservative government”.
But Greg Smith, Tory candidate for Mid-Buckinghamshire, claimed Labour’s plans would “decimate our local farmers”.
He said: “The backbone of our economy in Mid Buckinghamshire is agriculture - Labour’s plans would decimate our local farmers.
“That said, with their plans to build all over the countryside, it is no surprise Labour wants to kill off our farms.”
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Plans to reward sustainable farm management in Wales were put in place by the Welsh Government to replace EU subsidies, which farmers can no longer access after Brexit.
The measures, which have been shelved until 2026 after an angry NFU backlash, included a requirement to plant 10% of farmland with trees and use another 10% as a wildlife habitat to be eligible for Government payments.
Welsh Labour has given no commitment to reduce the amount of land being removed from food production in any future schemes.
And Labour has refused to commit to more support for agriculture, with the party’s manifesto making no commitment to the agriculture budget.
But Labour has hit back after an analysis showed more than 12,700 agricultural businesses in the UK have closed since 2010.
A Labour source said Labour had “absolutely no plans” to introduce the Welsh schemes in England and Sir Keir was committed to making the existing Environment Land Management schemes work.
They said: “The Tories are simply trying to deflect attention from their horrific record on British farming.”
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Since 2019, Labour says farmers have faced more red tape and higher costs at our borders, blocking the export of high-quality British produce.
Following years of devastating flooding and skyrocketing energy prices confidence among the English farming community has hit an all-time low, according to the NFU.
A Labour spokesperson said: “This is yet more desperate nonsense from the Conservative Party.
“Our farmers have been abandoned by this Conservative government.
“They have been undercut by poorly negotiated trade deals, locked behind unnecessary trade barriers blocking the export of high-quality produce and face skyrocketing energy prices forcing thousands out of business.
“It’s time for change - but change will only come if you vote for it.
“Labour will introduce a new deal for farmers to turbocharge rural growth and boost Britain's food security.
“We will cut energy bills for farmers by switching on GB Energy, reduce red tape in farming schemes and protect farmers from being undercut in trade deals.”