Farmers hold tractor protest amid ‘building’ anger

DOZENS of tractors were involved in a go-slow protest in Wales yesterday as the outgoing president of the National Farmers Union warned anger is building among farmers.

Minette Batters, who steps down next week after 10 years in the role, said that farmers in Wales were particularly frustrated, amid the Welsh Labour government’s green reforms to the EU subsidy scheme and its ban on badger culling to stop the spread of bovine TB.

“We have got to try and resolve these issues face to face and find consensus and agreement,” she said. “But it’s a fundamental right, that we should be very proud and feel privileged to have, that peaceful protest and free speech are ours to use. Nobody wants to see the general public disrupted, but the anger is building in Wales.”

More than a hundred tractors held up traffic on the A48 near Carmarthen in protest over the farming subsidy reforms. Some demonstrators were seen carrying placards proclaiming “no farmers, no food”, in reference to an online campaign that has gained traction in recent weeks.

On Monday, dozens of farmers drove their tractors to demonstrate outside the office of Lesley Griffiths, the Welsh rural affairs minister, in Wrexham, leading to one arrest. English farmers have also vowed to stage further protests, after a demonstration by around 30 in the port of Dover last week over post-Brexit trade deals.

“We’ve taken a bit of inspiration from the French farmers and our counterparts in Europe,” said Andrew Gibson, who along with his brother Jeff runs a livestock farm and shop in Canterbury.

Concerns have been growing in Wales over the government’s proposed reforms to the EU subsidy scheme, which will require 20 per cent of farms to be used for trees and wildlife habitat.

An impact assessment for the government suggests a decline in labour of 11 per cent, amounting to 5,500 jobs.