Farmers up and down the country join forces in Day of Unity, including in Herts
Peaceful events have been organised by local farmers to discuss challenges they face with the general public
Hertfordshire farmers will gather in Welwyn Garden City this Saturday as part of the NFU’s National Day of Unity, opposing the government’s proposed family farm tax.
The event, which runs from 9am to 3pm at Stonehills Square, is part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the potential impact of reforms to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR).
The tax changes, set to take effect in April 2026, will impose a 20% levy on agricultural assets valued over ÂŁ1 million.
While the Treasury claims this will only affect the wealthiest farmers, analysis by the NFU suggests otherwise.
Data shows that 75% of commercial family farms could face significant financial pressure, with most medium-sized farms unable to absorb the liability even with a proposed ten-year payment window.
DEFRA figures further indicate that 66% of farms exceed the ÂŁ1 million threshold.
NFU Hertford Vice Chair Hannah Buisman, an arable farmer from Welwyn, said: "I think it’s massively important that we as farmers connect with the general public and help them to realise that the family farm tax issue is something that will impact everyone.
"The tax could lead to small and medium-sized family farms going out of business and this will impact the entire rural economy; it could lead to food price rises in supermarkets, it would seriously harm farmers’ ability to deliver national food security and the huge amount of great work many farmers are doing to support the environment and protect the countryside would likely discontinue."
Ms Buisman, who previously promoted farming as a career as part of the NFU’s Student and Young Farmer Ambassador programme, highlighted the importance of public support.
She said: "There is a great deal of public support out there for farmers and we really want to take the opportunity to thank people for that.
"The way to make a positive change and get the government to reconsider this ill-thought-out and damaging policy is through harnessing that public support and by continuing to engage with politicians."
The Welwyn Garden City event will feature two tractors on display and will collect donations for the farming mental health charity RABI.
Ms Buisman also thanked local representatives for their assistance, including Welwyn Hatfield MP Andrew Lewin and his office, and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council for their support in helping to set up Saturday’s event.
The NFU has said farmers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland will use the day to thank the public for their backing and to press MPs to fully scrutinise the reforms.
What does the government say?
A government spokesperson said: “Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast.
“This Government will invest £5 billion into farming over the next two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history. We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British produce and reforming planning rules on farms to support food production.
“Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Relief will mean estates will pay a reduced effective inheritance tax rate of 20%, rather than standard 40%, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates a year.”