Les agriculteurs britanniques expriment des inquiétudes quant aux risques de pénuries alimentaires suite à une nouvelle taxe héritage de 20 % sur les exploitations valant plus de 1 million de livres, imposée par la Chancelière Rachel Reeves. Ce changement pourrait entraîner la vente de nombreuses fermes familiales, réduisant ainsi la production alimentaire locale. Les critiques affirment que cette décision, qui frappe des entreprises familiales pour la première fois depuis 1970, menace l’avenir des exploitations multi-générationnelles et pourrait accroître la dépendance à l’égard des produits étrangers.
Farmers across Britain are expressing serious concerns that Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent Budget measures could lead to food shortages.
Agricultural workers are planning protests against a newly introduced 20 percent inheritance tax on farms and equipment valued over £1 million.
They warn that family farms might be forced to sell, which could result in a significant decline in food production and dwindling supplies.
Critics are accusing Ms. Reeves of potentially “signing a death warrant” for many multi-generational businesses, as this is the first time since 1970 that such a tax is being enforced on other family-operated firms.
Gareth Wyn Jones, who operates Tyn Llwyfan Farm in Wales, expressed his frustration, stating, “I’m sure Labour could have found a more equitable way to raise funds rather than targeting working-class family farms. It feels like another harsh blow.”
Mr. Jones noted that this tax could affect around 70,000 farms and may force families to liquidate their assets.
This would drastically reduce locally-produced food and increase reliance on imports.
He emphasized, “Farmers are the backbone of affordable food production. “We risk losing farmland. If family farms face hefty tax bills after a death, they’ll be compelled to sell.”
The Chancellor has curtailed inheritance tax relief for farms, thus imposing a 20 percent charge on estates valued over £1 million upon the owner’s death.
Clive Bailey, an arable farmer in Staffordshire, warned that this could lead to “massive disruption” within the agricultural sector.
He told Times Radio, “People in desperate situations can be very unpredictable.”
“Farmers possess the ability to create significant upheaval if they choose that path.”
Richard Payne, a farmer from Somerset, expressed that he has advised his son against pursuing a farming career, deeming it “completely unviable” post-Budget.
He foresees that controversial “factory farms” may soon dominate the sector.
He remarked, “While many oppose factory farming, I can envision that becoming one solution.”
Jeremy Clarkson, a columnist and owner of Diddly Squat Farm, stated that farmers have been “shafted,” while TV property expert Kirstie Allsopp criticized Ms. Reeves for damaging the farming community.
Conservative MPs warned that the Budget could signify “the end of family farms.”
They accused Environment and Farming Secretary Steve Reed of betraying farming interests, as he had promised last year, “We have no intention of changing” the inheritance tax structure for farms.
The National Farmers Union indicated that this change threatens to “rob the next generation of their capacity to produce food.”
Mo Metcalfe from the Countryside Alliance remarked, “This is a devastating blow to small family farms, who are dedicated to food production and aim to pass their farms to their heirs.”
“I fear the Chancellor has severely underestimated the extent of anger and hurt this has caused.”
However, Ms. Reeves contended that landowners should be taxed like “middle-class families.”
She clarified, “Seventy-three percent of farms and agricultural properties will remain unaffected, safeguarding smaller farms.”
“Currently, some of the wealthiest landowners—who are not farmers—are exempt from inheritance tax, while middle-class families are not. This is unjust, and that’s why we’ve closed that loophole.”
Ms. Reeves also faced backlash for imposing the 20 percent inheritance tax on family-run businesses previously exempt if valued over £1 million.
Tax relief for multi-generational businesses was initiated by Labour in the 1970s.
Charlie Field, a funeral director whose business has operated for 300 years and employs 300 individuals, cautioned that this tax could be a “final nail in the coffin.”
He stated, “The Chancellor’s poorly conceived intervention in the Budget may threaten the survival of multi-generational businesses, including mine.”
Neil Davey, head of Family Business UK, warned that eliminating relief for ancestral businesses would have catastrophic consequences.
He explained, “Inheritance tax reliefs aren’t loopholes; they prevent the breakup of businesses and farms upon the owner’s death, benefitting employees, suppliers, customers, and investors.”
Former Labour Chancellor Ed Balls expressed concern, stating, “One has to wonder, ‘Has the Treasury really considered all the real-world implications?’”
Tom Bradshaw