Farmers and their families demonstrating in London on Budget Day last year. Photo Workers.
Britain’s farmers are maintaining their campaign against government food and agriculture polices. Tax changes make the headlines, but other issues threaten the industry, particularly costs.
Farmers showed their anger in demonstrations in central London on 26 November, Budget Day. The Metropolitan Police imposed a last-minute ban on agricultural vehicles entering Whitehall. Some farmers were already on their way, and many tractors made it into Whitehall with large crowds of farmers and their supporters.
Another tractor convoy demonstrated in London on 10 December. Outside London many participants in traditional Christmas tractor runs decorate their vehicles with slogans calling for support for farming and food.
This followed farmers’ demonstrations at political party conferences, and a Day of Unity on 24 November with co-ordinated protests throughout the country.
The Budget offered little on the changes to inheritance tax announced a year ago, dubbed the “family farm tax”. A concession allowing transfer of allowances between spouses was described by the NFU as “nowhere near far enough” to alter the impact.
There was nothing on energy costs (affecting many industries). And one change to sugar beet quotas will undercut British growers according to the NFU.
No wonder farmers are cross, and they are under pressure from financial markets too. Wheat prices have fallen to half the levels of 2022; the costs of fertiliser, fuel and machinery remain constant or rise.
• A longer version of this article is on the web at www.cpbml.org.uk