The farmers proudly showed off an 8ft by 3ft Stop the Family Farm Tax banner as they rowed 10 miles from Henley to Marlow on Wednesday.
NFU East Sussex chair Martin Hole, who farms at Pevensey, NFU Kent member John Dinnis, who farms near Sevenoaks, and NFU Dorset member George Hosford, who farms near Blandford Forum, thought this would be a unique way to get across an important message.
Making a splash
“Farmers are being sold down the river by the government's planned changes to inheritance tax,” said Martin, which the three NFU members intended to highlight by canoeing on the famous river.
Martin went on to say: “This is a very serious and heartfelt message, put across in a fun and light-hearted way to capture people’s imaginations.”
“This will rip the heart out of rural communities and damage the rural economy.”
NFU East Sussex chair Martin Hole
The three friends and canoeing buddies stumbled upon the idea while trying to find a way to continue raising awareness of the Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign.
He added: “We got some lively reactions and caused a lot of laughter from people walking by the river, but there were also lots of cheers and everyone we saw was very supportive.”
The bigger picture
Martin said that the evidence is clear that the government “is working off the wrong figures”.
He added: “This will rip the heart out of rural communities and damage the rural economy.
“Farmers are the chief deliverer of future nature recovery so an incredible amount of positive work in this area would likely discontinue if these changes do go ahead.”
He urged the government to “do the right thing” by putting their plans on hold to allow for “proper scrutiny and consultation”.
Have you done something to engage with your local community and contribute to the Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign? Let us know by emailing editorial@nfu.org.uk.
