Farm leaders are calling for an urgent rethink of inheritance tax and investment allowances ahead of the autumn Budget on 28 October.

With farm investment stalling and confidence at a low ebb, the NFU and major supermarket chains are urging the government to introduce tax reforms that could unlock billions of pounds of private investment in UK agriculture.

CLA chief tax adviser Louise Speke explains why changes to inheritance tax and capital allowances could help farmers invest in machinery, buildings and reservoirs – without requiring major government spending.

We visit Lincolnshire potato grower Alex Godfrey, who explains how drought, soaring fuel costs and increasingly unpredictable weather are making potato production more challenging.

With irrigation and storage requiring substantial investment, growers want greater certainty over water supplies and future contracts.

Meanwhile, McCain’s latest FarmDex report highlights growing concerns about extreme weather, rising costs and government policy.

We also examine the government’s plans to encourage organic farming, the newly agreed sugar beet price for 2027-28 and the latest livestock, grain and fuel markets.

And Jeremy Clarkson and Cheerful Charlie Ireland make a surprise appearance at the Conservative Party conference, highlighting the financial pressures facing British farmers.

Plus, our autumn drilling update with Bayer Crop Science examines herbicide resistance and how growers can protect the effectiveness of weed control programmes.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: What farming needs from the autumn Budget
01:28 – Farm tax reform: NFU and CLA call for investment incentives
02:03 – Louise Speke: Inheritance tax and capital allowances
05:45 – Farm investment stalls amid policy uncertainty
11:08 – Food security and the case for government action
16:41 – Autumn drilling update: Herbicide resistance and Italian ryegrass
18:59 – Potato harvest: Drought, irrigation and rising production costs
22:31 – Why growers need better access to water
23:46 – Lessons from a challenging potato harvest
26:27 – McCain FarmDex: Farmers struggle with costs and uncertainty
29:24 – Farmers Weekly journalists celebrate industry awards
31:30 – Hedgehog decline: The debate over farming and badgers
34:29 – Organic farming: Government plans to expand production
37:58 – Sugar beet: New 2027-28 price agreement
40:40 – Markets: Beef, sheep, pigs, cereals and diesel
43:08 – Jeremy Clarkson and Cheerful Charlie at the Conservative Party conference
45:37 – Farming policy and the future of environmental regulation
49:12 – Conclusion: What next for British farming?

Special guests:

Louise Speke – Chief tax adviser, Country Land and Business Association.
Jenny Deakin – Bayer Crop Science.
Alex Godfrey – Potato grower, Lincolnshire.

Useful links:

National Farmers’ Union – Farming policy and campaigns
Country Land and Business Association – Taxation and rural business policy
HM Treasury – Government Budgets and financial statements
HMRC – Agricultural Property Relief
HMRC – Annual Investment Allowance
GB Potatoes – Potato industry information
AHDB – Agricultural market intelligence

This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker.

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