Inheritance Tax and farm gate price protests campaign starts in Co Derry

Farmers For Action Steering Committee have kicked off the first of the national Phase 2 Inheritance Tax and farm gate price protests campaign in Northern Ireland at Coleraine on Thursday night, January 29.

These protests will continue weekly on Thursday nights across Northern Ireland until March 1.

A FFA spokesperson said: "In Northern Ireland Tesco have been chosen as the example, where 11 of the largest UK retailers are sent a letter by email and post – asking them to turn over a new leaf.

"Family farmers are challenging Tesco and all other large corporate food retailers to come out publically and state they are going to ‘turn over a new leaf’ and lobby Government in Westminster; to end the crippling Farm Inheritance Tax completely.  They also want put in place a UK-wide Farm Welfare Bill to have family farmers paid a minimum of the true cost of production inflation linked plus a margin for their produce as currently approx 33% of your family farmers across the UK are living below the poverty line.  There are also calls to stop large UK food corporates accelerating climate change with food swaps, eg the UK is self-sufficient in lamb, yet a UK ship going south to France with a cargo of lamb, could meet a ship coming north to the UK with Australian lamb.  Finally they want an end to UK food corporates importing substandard food, such as Brazilian beef and the retailing of sub-standard food with misleading information.

"Today, the UK family farmers that supply the food on your table are being exploited - financially and physically by the UK’s food corporates and Government resulting in suicides, family farms closing across the UK, health issues and the need for charity support. Farmers were traditionally charity givers, not receivers.

"A copy of this flyer and these serious life changing points for all of us are being sent by Farm Organisations across the UK to Tesco and all other large corporate food retailers and Government, demanding yes or no answers to the above requests by 1^st March 2026.

"It’s time to reveal those currently responsible for the UK’s declining food self-sufficiency. Should the UK have to go to war tomorrow – we could only feed 48% of you, the people.

"In Northern Ireland week two of the protest campaign will move to Co Antrim for location next Thursday night please check out Farmers For Action (Northern Ireland) Facebook page, where tractors, pick-ups and farm vehicles will be appreciated, during the public leaflet drop, all outside Tesco property."