A FARMER based near Ludlow has said inheritance tax on farms, among other issues faced by rural communities, could cause problems for food security and affect other sectors.

David Edwards of Edwards Seaweed, in Little Hereford near Ludlow, spoke at a Back British Farming rally held in Herefordshire, warning of problems that could become worse if inheritance tax is hiked as planned by the Labour government.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in last month's budget that a 20 per cent tax would be introduced in 2026 on inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1 million.

Mr Edwards said at the rally: "Inheritance tax is only a small part of what's going on. 

"Everything you eat and drink is produced by farmers and everything relates to farmers.

"Farmers are not going to be able to produce enough food, and development can't happen without income meaning farms may not be able to expand and invest. This will affect so many people, including vets, lorry drivers and more.

"In Covid, there were shortages because of the amount of imported food, and if something like that happened again in the future, there may not be enough British farmers around to sustain the country."

Crowds gathered at a Herefordshire auction centre to listen to speakers at the rally (Image: Bridie Adams) The government has said the vast majority of farmers will not be affected by the reduction of agricultural property relief, but farming groups like the Country Land and Business Association disagrees.

A Back British Farming rally was held on November 19 at the auction centre in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, and hundreds of farmers descended on the livestock market to share their perspective on inheritance tax, food security and other issues faced by farmers.

This coincided with a National Farmers' Union mass lobby in London, in which the NFU called on the Labour government to reconsider its changes to the budget.

Ludlow's MP Stuart Anderson has expressed his support for local farmers. He said: "Our farmers are the backbone of our rural economy. Their high-quality produce is envied around the world and is an integral part of our food national security. I am pleased to support our farmers, having raised my concerns in parliament when the changes were first announced. I am clear that we must help them and the other groups impacted by this cruel tax imposition."