Consult on tax, farmers urge government

President Peter Kendall said he feared that some elements of the system, which related to farming, were being reviewed by the government without industry consultation. “We will be talking to Defra and the Treasury about how the taxation regime can help, rather than hinder, long-term investment in food security,” he said.

Kendall added that the majority of farming businesses were SMEs - the backbone of the British economy. “In considering the future structure of the taxation system, I would urge the Chancellor to recognise the value that these businesses add to UK plc.”

The Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit’s 2008 Food Matters report, and Defra’s online consultation on a vision for the food system in 2030, looked at the complex interactions that should be taken into account when considering what a productive, sustainable and resilient supply chain might look like.

Kendall said: “As agriculture takes a long-term view of its future...we also need a long-term vision from the Treasury. Defra Minister Lord Davies gave an assurance at the NFU’s tenants’ conference last month to look at fiscal measures that help the tenant farming sector, which is the sort of commitment that now needs to be taken up across government.”

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