Scores of British farmers protested outside Parliament in London on Monday, criticising the government’s agricultural policy following Brexit that they argue threatens national production.
Blaring horns, a convoy of around 100 tractors from across the country sported slogans such as “Support British farmers” and “Fairness for British agriculture”.
“We’ve had enough,” said Liz Webster of Save British Farming, which organised the protest. She condemned the arrival of “lower standard products taking over British production”.
Since leaving the European Union, the UK has been signed new trade deals and continues to pursue others. However, farmers criticise an excessive openness to foreign food products, particularly from countries with less stringent regulations, especially regarding the environment.
There have been sporadic protests across the UK in recent months against the post-Brexit agricultural policy of the Conservative government, which has been in power for 14 years.
British farming currently supplies about 60% of the food consumed in the country, but farmers fear this proportion will fall. In addition, farmers are suffering from the surge in agricultural input costs and a shortage of seasonal workers, many of whom are traditionally foreign and are now harder to recruit post-Brexit.
Amid growing unease among European farmers, fruit and vegetable producers also protested outside Parliament in late January against what they view as “unfair” supply contracts binding them to major supermarket chains.
