Poultry farmer Lucy Hinch has said her livelihood is under threat (Image: Express)
The Save British Farming tractor demonstration yesterday made one thing clear: farmers will not stand by while their futures are threatened.
One of numerous protests since the Budget, these events demonstrate the strength of feeling against the family farm tax. This isn’t just about numbers – it’s about livelihoods, heritage and the future of British food production.
My family has farmed for four generations.
My dad has spent the last twenty years building up our free-range poultry and arable farm, putting in immense work, time and mental stress to make it successful.
Now, all of that is under threat. If this tax goes ahead, even if we used every penny of profit, it would take us ten years to pay it – during which I wouldn’t have the funds to maintain our poultry sheds, essential for optimum bird welfare, and we’d be forced to reduce our flock.That’s why speaking with MPs at Westminster yesterday was so important. Young farmers like me wanted decision-makers to understand the devastating impact of this policy.
As a fellow farmer put it, this is like asking a fisherman to pay a huge tax bill on his boat.
He can only pay it by selling the boat, after which he’s no longer a fisherman. This is crazy. The Chancellor claims the £1 million cap will protect small farms, but that simply isn’t true.
:
Farmers are asset-rich but cash-poor. Most viable farms far exceed that threshold due to their land and equipment.
This tax could force families to sell their farms, reducing UK food production and worsening pressures on a sector already struggling with inflation, rising costs and extreme weather.Public support for our campaign has been overwhelming.
The NFU’s #StopTheFamilyFarmTax petition gathered over 275,000 signatures and the UK farming unions’ Day of Unity last month saw incredible engagement between farmers and the public. Even major UK supermarkets have backed our calls for change.Farming is in my blood. I have learned so much from my parents and grandparents – skills and knowledge that will be lost if this tax forces families like mine to give up.
If the government allows this to happen, British farming will never be the same again.