On Monday a group of local farmers from 'Farmers To Action'' peacefully protested outside The Portsmouth City Council Offices . Some 30 tractors and 4x4's gathered at Portsdown Hill Car Park at 10am and made their way down to the city an hour later.
The farmers were protesting against recent government policy changes, notably changes to inheritance tax relief, national insurance increase and the abrupt stop of the Sustainable Farming Initiative last week.
The changes will have a devastating impact on small/medium sized family farms in the area which are already not profitable. Farmers will be forced to sell their land to large corporations and developers in order to pay inheritance tax bills . Most family farms have seen several generations farm and manage the land to a high standard and the thought of losing it will have a big impact on farming families and food security.
The protest against the current Labour government will continue as long as it takes to get the government to change it's mind . The protests organised by Farmers To Action were held all over the Country and have the full support of the public and many of the local Counsellors particularly in Portsmouth North and South .
The farmers left the counsil offices at 1pm and headed towards Southsea in tractor convoy.
