farmer rally

In today's Farming In Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the PM being pressurised by the Conservative party to show his face at NFU conference next week to address farmers' concerns over inheritance tax changes, farming unions are due to meet with Treasury officials tomorrow, where they hope to voice their members concerns and hear some solutions, and egg prices are soaring in the US as the impact of avian influenza is felt across the country.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said you cannot give a 'tax break' for farmers if you want to drive down NHS waiting lists and mortgage rates

Speaking to Sky News, Sir Keir Starmer said it was a political choice. He said you could not have waiting lists coming down while maintaining the 'tax break' for farmers

It is understood NFU, TFA, CLA and the CAAV have been invited to a meeting next week (February 18) with Treasury officials. The devolved farming unions are also expected to meet in a separate meeting

Keir Starmer refused to apologise for the remarks made the Farming Minister, Daniel Zeichner, earlier this week that the agricultural industry was not high in the Government's 'pecking order'

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the Farming Minister's comments that agriculture is low in the Government's 'pecking order' and 'the Budget is the Budget' and the focus must now be on getting the sector on a ‘proper, sustainable, business-like footing', and restaurant chain Nando's is to conduct an independent audit of its chicken suppliers after it was accused of ‘killing' the River Wye by green campaign groups

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner told farmers at the Norfolk Farming Conference ‘the Budget is as the Budget is' and it was not going to change

Treasury urged to work together to consider whether its IHT policy could be 'recalibrated' and a 'few tweaks' could be made to both support family farms and close loopholes to maintain pressure on 'landbankers'

Scenes from the farmer protest against Inheritance Tax changes in Whitehall on Monday (February 10)

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown summarise the farmers' protest in Whitehall and concerns raised by some Labour backbencher MPs in yesterday's Westminster Hall debate, proposals for a new state-of-the-art abattoir in Orkney backed by Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, and new reward points being offered to potato growers who can an demonstrate best application practice at planting when using Nemathorin to manage key soil pests