Huge public support for NFU’s Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign at Cambridgeshire Day of Unity events
Cambridgeshire farmers were buoyed by a huge amount of public support at NFU Farming Day of Unity events around the county.
On Saturday, January 25, farmers gathered in towns and cities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to thank the British public for their overwhelming support and to discuss the NFU’s Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign.
In Cambridgeshire, NFU President Tom Bradshaw joined farmers and growers on Parker’s Piece in Cambridge, Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, held a farming-themed family fun day and Cambridgeshire farmers engaged with the public at Tesco car parks in March and Wisbech as well as in St Neots Market Square.
NFU Cambridgeshire Vice Chair Sam Goddard said: “Everything went really well - we had great responses from the public at all of the Cambridgeshire events.
“Cambridgeshire farmers spoke to hundreds of people, and everyone was so positive and supportive of the work we do.
“Many were angry about the government’s plans to change inheritance tax and said they would sign our petition.”
NFU Farmers for Schools Ambassador Luke Abblitt, an arable farmer based near Ramsey, attended the Johnsons of Old Hurst event.
He helped to educate the public about how their food is produced and spoke about the family farm tax campaign.
Mr Abblitt said: “It was an amazing day. We saw about 1,500 people and everyone was so engaged and supportive of us.
“Many could not understand why the government is making these changes they were very appreciative of the work that we do.”
There are widespread concerns that the government’s planned changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) will force many small and medium-sized family farms out of business.
The NFU says the government is working off the wrong figures and has miscalculated the impact of its planned changes, with the Treasury claiming 27% of family farms in England will be affected, while Defra’s own figures show this figure to be 66%.
Further analysis has revealed that 75% of commercial family farms will be impacted.
All the UK’s major supermarkets publicly stated their concerns over the impact the changes will have on national food security last week.
There are also major concerns about the impact on the entire rural economy and the environment.
You can sign the petition to Stop the Family Farm Tax by going to www.nfuonline.com