Farmers stepped up direct action across the UK this month, using tractors to blockade supermarket warehouses and the port of Felixstowe in protests over inheritance tax reform and food policy.
Farmers say recent and proposed changes to inheritance tax rules risk making it harder to pass on family farms to the next generation, while rising costs and lower margins for retailers continue to squeeze profit margins.
In the latest action, tractors were stationed outside the port of Felixstowe in Suffolk from just after midnight until around 7am on Friday (January 23) as farmers blocked vehicle traffic at Britain’s biggest container port overnight.
The port of Felixstowe handles a significant portion of the UK’s container traffic and has been a high-profile target of protests, despite assurances that shipping operations will not be affected.
Protesters expressed their opposition to current government policy with banners attached to tractors reading “Save your farm, save your future, fight your taxes” and “Take back British farming.”
(Photo: East Anglia Farmers’ Union)
East Anglia Farmers Unite, a campaign group supporting Felixstowe’s action, said the protests were part of a concerted national action.
“Farmers have joined others across the UK in taking to the port of Felixstowe to blockade supermarket warehouses and the port in protest against cheap, substandard imports and inheritance tax,” the group said.
A port spokesperson said in a statement that protests were expected and steps were taken to limit disruption. “We were made aware of the proposed protest and worked with port users to reduce its impact,” they said.
It added: “While this protest did not disrupt our transportation operations, it did cause some inconvenience to our ground operations. We would like to apologize to our affected customers.”
More than 15 farmers were reported to have taken part in the Felixstowe protest, which was part of a broader series of actions by farmers across the country.
Supermarket distribution centers are being targeted as part of an effort to pressure big retailers to pay higher prices for British food and reduce their reliance on imported goods.
Earlier this month, tractors descended on Tesco distribution centers in Peterborough, Doncaster and Hinckley, and trucks were banned.
On Thursday (January 22), farmers also blocked Lidl distribution centers across England, including Peterborough in Doncaster and Houghton Regis near Luton, close to the retailer’s UK headquarters.
Protests have gathered pace in recent weeks, moving from early morning warehouse blockades to high-profile infrastructure sites such as the port of Felixstowe.
