The government has just outlined plans to hold a technical consultation on the draft legislation, including on inheritance tax, to ensure it “works as intended” before the next Finance Bill, which will take place in autumn 2025.

NFU explained that this is a common process in the development of a Finance Bill, but given the “appalling consequences” of this legislation, the union said it will be holding the government to account on every element of this policy.

A spokesperson for the union said: “The NFU has repeatedly provided evidence that the current policy does not achieve the government’s intentions of closing a loophole, protecting family farms, or generating as much revenue as it should. Nor do we agree that it is ‘not expected to have a material impact on food security’.

“On the other hand, the NFU’s ‘clawback’ solution would allow the Treasury to raise the revenue it seeks without tearing apart farming families or jeopardising domestic food production.”

‘This is a moment that demands listening, compassion and action’

Since the Budget in November 2024, swathes of MPs from all parties, including members of the government’s own backbenches, alongside county councils, farming and business organisations, the food supply chain and over a quarter of a million members of the British public have joined the call to stop the family farm tax.

Even the Office for Budget Responsibility and the government’s own EFRA Committee have highlighted the impact these reforms will have on vulnerable elderly farmers.

Throughout the summer, NFU members have also made their voices heard. At county shows across the country, thousands of letters and postcards were collected from farmers and the public to be sent directly to MPs – each sharing personal stories of how this tax will devastate their family farms.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “At the heart of this battle are the elderly farmers who have devoted their entire lives to growing food for the country and supporting their rural communities. They should not become collateral damage.

“To see them face such uncertainty, knowing the legacy they and their families have worked hard for and grown could be ripped away by this tax, is heartbreaking. I cannot begin to imagine the fear many must be feeling right now – their homes, their livelihoods and everything they’ve worked for is under threat.”

Mr Bradshaw said that he has spoken directly to the prime minister and treasury exchequer secretary James Murray about the “disastrous” impact of this tax.

“Yet, despite our persistent efforts, chancellor Rachel Reeves still refuses to meet us to discuss our alternative ‘clawback’ proposal. The Treasury claims our solution will raise less revenue but is refusing to release the modelling on how it came to this conclusion,” he continued.

Mr Bradshaw added that the issue with the family farm tax goes far beyond farming. “The food and farming sector supports millions of jobs, fuels our domestic food supply and contributes billions to the UK economy. When you undermine farm businesses, you undermine a vital part of our national infrastructure. If this legislation goes ahead, it will unquestionably have devastating and irreversible impacts on the country, and it is so poorly designed that it will inevitably have to be changed in the future.

“The prime minister must now take his own advice and listen to the overwhelming evidence that the current policy will not work as intended. To ignore the consequences this tax will bring would be a betrayal of the very people who feed our nation. We cannot stand by and watch the backbone of the countryside be broken when there is a credible alternative being offered.

“This is a moment that demands listening, compassion and action. The government needs to sit down with farming representatives to find a solution that protects the future of our domestic food production – before it is too late.”

READ MORE: ‘Madness’ of IHT reforms revealed, says farming community

READ MORE: Latest IHT report paints ‘catastrophic’ picture of family farming businesses

‘Tax burden on businesses, not wealth’

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president Victoria Vyvyan said that the ending of vital inheritance tax reliefs will “crush” farming and family businesses.

“But the Treasury remains deaf, blind and indifferent to the damage to the economy. The CLA has made clear and costed the consequences of this ideological folly: the loss of jobs and the reduction in GVA. Together the industry has offered a sensible alternative via the ‘clawback’ mechanism. The Treasury has given no reason for failing to consider an alternative.

“This is not an impact assessment; it reads like an amateur note from an arrogant government setting and marking its own homework and simply not understanding businesses and food security.

“To be clear, this is a tax burden on businesses, not wealth, delivered without consultation and with derisory engagement. Farmers and family businesses are the backbone of the economy and deserve to be heard by a government that seems hell-bent on pressing ahead, indifferent to the slow but inevitable train crash.”

READ MORE: East Anglia farmers meet with shadow minister: ‘We feel undervalued’

Review your situation

Mark Charter, head of estate management at Carter Jonas, added: “After months of protests and government lobbying, many farmers and landowners have been waiting to see if any concessions will be made in the implementation of inheritance tax reforms.

“Now the draft Bill has been published, we recommend that any farming families who haven’t already started reviewing the practical and legal implications of the legislation begin doing so quickly.”

Mr Charter explained that this should include business ownership, partnership agreements, and different structures that can be used for holding property in multi-generational families. Farmers and landowners should also discuss will planning, lifetime gifts, and life insurance.

“While this legislation will not come into force before April 2026, we cannot rule out the possibility of the government making further changes affecting tax planning in its October Budget,” he concluded.

READ MORE: NFU Cymru president urges PM to change IHT proposals ahead of L-Day

Read more political news.

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Having run farm shops, a pub, and most recently an eco lodge and online meat business, Ben Aveling is a realist about diversification – but remains a “sucker for a new idea”.

Radmore Farm in Towcester, Northamptonshire, was originally a large pig farm and they began selling their own pig meat and other produce in a farm shop in Cambridge city centre around 20 years ago – with their own on-farm butchery.

The farm shop was originally set up to give Ben’s wife and sister, whose parents own the farm, a foothold in the farming business.

From there, they bought a local pub, with the experience having much in common with Jeremy Clarkson’s purchase of The Farmer’s Dog, which features in the latest series of Clarkson’s Farm. 

“We’ve been watching Clarkson’s Farm and it’s been quite funny because he’s following a very similar thing to what we did 10-15 years ago or more. Our local pub come up for sale and it was an absolute wreck, a bit like in the TV show,” Ben told the Farmers Guide Podcast.

“We tried to get it off the ground and over time opened a restaurant and sold our own produce through that.”

Listen to Ben’s insights on diversification:

Visit our podcast page to hear the full interview.

“We had to move on from the shop”

With livestock having fallen to quite a low level on the farm by 2018, their success with the farm shop allowed them to invest back into the farm, in the infrastructure for glamping, and building the livestock numbers back up. 

Having moved premises, the farm shop closed when covid-19 restrictions eased and footfall dropped. They felt that glamping would help to spread their risk, with the first guest arriving at the eco lodge in June 2022.

“We got to the stage where we had to move on from the shop. So over time we managed to get through that and then about a year later I built a new website to try and plug the gap of the shop,” Ben explained.

“We deliver meats from our farm and buy some from local farms if we’re short. We now deliver it nationwide around the country and that’s actually going really well.”

Ben uses social media and YouTube to promote the online store, but doesn’t really ‘sell’.

“I don’t do that much pushing of products. I don’t really sell. I do the occasional advert maybe once a week or something just to tell people what’s on this week but actually what’s really interesting is by just being present and just doing farm videos I get far more orders than if I just did ‘order now’ videos.”

Deeply saddening profitability issues

Commenting on the profitability challenges facing farmers and the growing need to diversify, Ben said: “It’s deeply saddening first and foremost.

“I think the whole situation of farming is surrounded by a real narrative of doom and gloom and you’re told that you have to diversify and sometimes it’s true and sometimes it’s not.

“There’s a lot about diversification that I don’t like and that if I could change, I would. 

“I would say that if farmers are being told they should diversify, in my opinion, it probably is more often than not by someone who has never diversified before.”

Taking time away from farming jobs

Ben spoke frankly of the downsides of diversification, particularly the time taken away from the farming business, and towards non-farming tasks.

“Doing the glamping is not even close to farming. No farmer wants to change beds and clean toilets and wash out the fridge. 

“With the glamping it’s actually quite a lot of work and you’re welcoming people onto your farm who, not all the time but quite often, have no clue about the countryside and it can be quite stressful.”

He added: “One of the worst things about it is when you end up having to do the diversified job instead of a job that needs to be done on the farm and then you think to yourself, actually the farm’s suffering.”

Glamping has been the biggest culture shift, he explained, whereas the meat and farm shop businesses align more closely. 

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READ MORE: Northamptonshire farm diversifies to put spotlight on endangered species

Investment challenges 

Start-up costs are another issue and a barrier for many farmers, he noted. “The revenue streams, in my case with some of the diversifications I’ve done, you’ve never really made anything because of the heavy start-up investment. 

“You can’t do anything without significant figures of money going into it in the first place and you’re lucky if you see your return in 10 years.”

He added: “If I could afford it, I’d diversify into most things. It’s just that it requires so much money. Most farmers aren’t in a position to actually do it. You’re told by the government, just set up a farm shop. Well, OK, how do you do that?”

“[…] You’ve really got to make sure that you can afford to do it in the first place, and ideally without having to borrow anything because that’s where it really kicks you in the teeth because obviously you’re paying money on money.”

There’s also a question mark over whether it’s best to invest that money into the farming business, or diversification – and there’s no easy answer. 

“We have this question a lot where my father-in-law and I chat and we’ll say back in 2005, 2006, we might have been better off if we’d have put anything close to what we invested in diversification into efficiencies and equipment and things like this on the farm, and just trying to grow an extra 1 tonne/acre of corn.

“It’s one of those things where we’ll never know the answer to that, but sometimes it feels like we know the answer and it’s quite sad,” Ben said.

“But again we need to make sure that we are covering our possible losses by doing different things. And in all fairness, I quite like variety, so I don’t mind.”

It will always take more time than you think

For those considering a new diversification, Ben emphasised that it will always take more time than you think, so really think about what value it will bring to your business.

“I might have someone call up saying there’s a problem. I was going to go and do the worming, but now the sheep will just have to wait and at harvest time or haymaking time you have a very real time pressure, but you have to get your orders out for a certain day because people have ordered them.

“So the irony is to try and make your farm survive, you’re putting it last.

“Over time you get used to it and we’ve got systems in place but especially at first it’s hard.”

Dealing with the public for the first time is also a steep learning curve. “People can be quite happy to complain; we have Airbnb and you can get negative reviews which can really impact your rating.”

Choosing a business you like is key, Ben added, and if you outsource tasks you don’t like, it comes at massive cost – and staff will never do it like you do.

“That was something that happened with the shop. I thought by replacing myself in our shop over time, it would stay the same, but actually you don’t realise in a face-to-face business, for example, like a shop on your farm, people are actually coming to see you. If you’re not there two or three times in a row, they might just stop coming.”

Future generations

Despite the challenges, Ben says he’s a sucker for a new idea. 

Asked what diversification he would do if money and logistics was no object he said: “I’d love to be able to personally sell just about everything that we produce.

“So if we produce oats, I’d love to sell packaged oats. If we produce milling wheat, I’d love to have a form of cracked wheat cereal. And if we do straw I’ll have little straw bales for garden centres. And the list goes on.”

Another goal is to move away from one-man band territory, and grow the business enough to outsource the less skilled work to staff.

But much of the farm’s diversifications are also led by the younger generations of the family. 

“My middle son, Leo, he’s obsessed with the farm and he’s got loads of ideas that he wants to do. He’s only nine, but it won’t be long, 10 years, before he’s old enough to be part of the working farm.

“So we’ve got 10 years to think about how he wants to do it. A lot of the diversification projects are geared towards that as well and we’ve got nieces and nephews who might be interested as well. 

“I’m always trying to think of the family, really.”

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On Tuesday, 8th July, first minister of Wales Eluned Morgan was asked by Welsh Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary, Samuel Kurtz, how confident she was that the latest version of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) would not spark a large-scale protest at the Senedd. 

The first minister said that the agricultural community needs to be supported, but added: “Boy, are they supported – £250 million of funding per annum.” 

“That’s quite a big amount of support for a sector that contributes less than 1% to the GDP of the country,” she continued. 

The SFS was originally delayed last year after widespread protests, largely around concerns about the 10% tree cover rule.

Welsh representative body CLA Cymru said this framing is “deeply misleading” and at best fails to reflect the foundational role agriculture plays across multiple sectors of the rural economy. At worst, it shows a deep misunderstanding of the rural economy. 

Victoria Bond, director of CLA Cymru, said: “This statement risks undermining the months of constructive engagement between Welsh Government and rural stakeholders in developing the Sustainable Farming Scheme.”  

Ms Bond added that the comment also reveals a lack of understanding about the structure of the Welsh rural economy. 

“Farming may represent a modest proportion of direct GDP, but it is the bedrock of a wider supply chain worth billions. From food processing and exports to tourism and environmental delivery. 

“If we reduce agriculture to a line on a GVA chart, we miss its vital function: sustaining 90% of our landscape, underpinning our food security, and delivering the raw materials and stewardship that so much of our national economy depends on.

“We urge all politicians, especially as we approach the 2026 election, to speak to the facts and to the full value of rural Wales,” she continued.  

‘Hopelessly reductive’ 

Thomas Homfray, vice-chairman of CLA Cymru, added that assessing the sector’s value on the basis of GDP is “hopelessly reductive”. 

“It’s a short-termist, superficial approach that has contributed to many of the crises we now face. It also directly contradicts the Welsh Government’s own curriculum, where my children have spent the year learning about the critical importance of food production and nature recovery. 

“Does the first minister not see farming and the countryside as essential to the solution? Rural Wales is not a cost centre; it is a strategic asset that delivers value across all fronts.” 

CLA Cymru is calling for cross-party recognition of the sector’s real-world contribution ahead of the Royal Welsh Show, where it will formally launch its rural manifesto ahead of the 2026 elections, called ‘This is rural’. 

The manifesto includes six evidence-based asks to support the next Welsh Government in unlocking rural economic potential through farming, land use, housing, tourism, energy and digital infrastructure.   

A route to the 74% of the electorate who are rural-based and the foundation for the next election. 

READ MORE: Thousands of wellies on display at Senedd in protest of SFS policy proposals

READ MORE: Why did rural affairs minister refuse to talk about farmers’ SFS concerns?

‘We are the solution to your problem’

Welsh campaign group Digon YW Digon (Enough is Enough) said that the first minister should be “very careful” not to push the farming community too far. 

They added: ‘Don’t underestimate the strength in the industry. We shall stand up for our previous generation that worked the land, fed the nation and protected the wildlife and habitat, and it’s our part to challenge your policy to protect the future.

‘We are the solution to your problem. You might need us more than we need you.’

‘Don’t kick the people that are already down’

Welsh sheep and beef farmer Gareth Wyn Jones also spoke out on social media: “Oh boy, oh boy, Eluned Morgan, I don’t think she really realises the importance of the agricultural sector in Wales, and what we mean to our culture, our language, our landscape, our climate and everything that surrounds it. 

“Listening to that answer in the Senedd to Samuel Kurtz’s question really shows us that we’ve got no chance that SFS is going to work. It’s sad because this industry is already on its knees, emotionally, physically, mentally.  

“And our first minister comes up with a comment like we are not even 1% of GDP, which I totally disagree with. I think we are at a lot more than 1%, and I think we keep everybody fed, and we protect our environment, we protect our countryside. 

“Yes, all communities need support. Don’t kick the people that are already down. Take a little bit of advice, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” 

‘Farmers play an essential role in Wales’s economy’

Responding to the backlash, a spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: “Farmers play an essential role in Wales’s economy, as the first minister has repeatedly made clear.

“They provide food, care for our environment, support rural communities and help protect the Welsh language.

“We look forward to making the final scheme announcement on the Sustainable Farming Scheme shortly.” 

READ MORE: Support schemes announced by Welsh Government ahead of SFS introduction called ‘logical step forward’

READ MORE: Farmers call for flexibility within SFS to avoid “irreversible damage”

Read more political news.

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It comes amidst serious concerns that the US will demand even greater access to the UK agricultural market in return for reducing or removing the additional 10% tariffs applied by president Trump earlier this year, NFU explained.  

A key concern is that this could include concessions for US agri-food items that have been produced using methods that are illegal here and fail to meet the UK’s high animal welfare, environmental and food safety standards.  

At an extraordinary board meeting convened by the NFU, comprising elected farmer and grower representatives across food-producing sectors, it was made clear that UK farming can give no more without suffering serious impacts on its own viability.  

The board concluded that the deal UK and US agreed on in May is the most the agriculture sector can carry.  

READ MORE: How will the US trade deal affect UK farmers?

‘Agriculture sector has already done its bit’

This deal saw the UK livestock and arable sectors taking the hit in order to reduce significant tariffs on other sectors of the economy, such as cars, steel and aluminium.  

At the time, this was a necessary burden to bear to protect the wider UK economy but warned the agricultural sector could not shoulder any more as negotiations continued, NFU said. 

Now, the union is calling for a commitment that agriculture will not be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations to reduce the remaining 10% tariffs and is asking the government to be prepared to walk away rather than risk our domestic food and farming sector. 

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “It’s understandable that the UK government wants to eliminate the 10% tariffs on all goods going to the US, but we have to ask – what is the cost?  

“The US has made it crystal clear that they want greater access to our market for their agricultural produce, and it is not afraid to throw its weight around to get what it wants.”

Mr Bradshaw said that the UK agriculture sector “has already done its bit”, paying with access to the nation’s beef and ethanol markets to reduce tariffs on cars, aluminium and steel. We have nothing more to give.  

“It’s worth noting that our government has upheld its side of the deal announced in May, with legislation now in place to allow this additional access for American imports of beef and ethanol. Yet the US is dragging its feet to uphold its side of the bargain with no sign of the promised access to the US beef market,” he continued. 

Mr Bradshaw said that the UK cannot continue to “barter away” critical sectors such as food production in pursuit of tariff reductions. 

“The tariffs may never materialise, and that simply takes us back to where we were before ‘Liberation Day’. 

“Our government has stood firm so far to protect our most sensitive farming sectors and to safeguard our high welfare, environmental and food safety standards. It has to continue to do so by taking further agricultural concessions off the negotiating table, or we run the serious risk of crippling our country’s ability to produce its own food and undermining our food production values. 

“And if push comes to shove and the US doesn’t accept this, I hope our government would prioritise its own farming sector – the foundation of our nation’s food security – over any further deal with the US, even if it means accepting the 10% tariffs,” the NFU president concluded. 

READ MORE: Govt warned to protect British farmers in UK-Gulf trade deal 

Read more political news. 

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Those who have seen the recently released F1 movie, starring Brad Pitt, could spot farmer Richard Heady as he makes a cameo appearance helping move cattle across a country road. 

Filming took place at his 1,000-acre farm, and a neighbouring farm, nearly two years ago and the film was released in late June, having been delayed by the actors’ strike over AI. Cattle were brought onto the mixed farm from Dorset for the scene.

Speaking to Farmers Guide, Richard, of WF Heady & Sons, said: “It was such a short scene but they had the road shut for about three days, they had catering units up there, car parks and makeup and all sorts going on, and the helicopter shots. It was really interesting to be involved with.”

Sharing one story from filming he recalled when producers wanted to take the car to the art department to add the appearance of mud. “My wife sent them up a farm track and said ‘there’s a puddle up there just go and drive through a few times.’”

Filming was taking place near to the Milton Keynes farm and the production company were looking for a country road, so they approached Richard via a neighbour.

“We were very lucky [filming] came in between harvesting the barley and starting on the wheat, so it was perfect timing and meant I had a day or two to spend up there with them.

“I did a lot of moving stuff around with a loader and provided hurdles for the cattle.”

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Good conversations about British farming

Commenting on meeting Brad Pitt, Richard said: “He was very cool. He wasn’t overly talkative, but he was very happy to have a brief chat.

“Being a farmer, I tried to explain to him about the field of beans that were surrounding him and what they were going to be used for, and he didn’t seem overly interested in that. But he did say he’d never worked with livestock before.

“His co-star Kerry Condon was really interested in the cattle. She came over between scenes and was asking about them.”

He added: “It’s nice to do something different, meet different people. There was a lot of people who didn’t know anything about farming and we had some really good conversations with them about British-grown food and how livestock actually have an important role in the countryside.”

He credited Just Farmers – a community interest company that offers media training to farmers and links them with journalists – for giving him the courage to “say yes to mad opportunities.”

Read more rural news.

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The meeting that took place yesterday, 26th June, was organised by Suffolk’s agricultural chaplain Graham Miles. Dozens of farmers from across East Anglia attended the discussion to voice their concerns about Labour government policies, including changes to inheritance tax, the unexpected SFI application closure and cheap food imports. 

Shadow minister Robbie Moore promised to take the issues to other members of parliament and reopen the discussion of possible caps or a ‘clawback’ on the IHT policy change. 

Russel Abbott, third-generation Suffolk farmer and organiser of local farmers’ demonstrations, said during the meeting: “My father is 81 years old, and he still works seven days a week. I think that farming has to be in your blood to want to keep doing it for little or sometimes no reward. 

“We’re simply trying to exist at the moment, but the government expects us to pay 20% inheritance tax. Having daughters myself, I think that when they inherit the farm, they will have to pay the same tax again. All this in an industry with too much red tape.” 

Mr Abbott added that the farming industry should be protected by the government and food security should be the priority. 

‘Politicians should help us rather than work against us’

Young farmer Harry Suckling from Holbrook said he attended the meeting to talk to MP Moore about what the Conservative Party could do for farmers if it gets into power again. 

“It would be nice to know that they’re right up to speed with how we’re feeling and what the feeling is on the ground. Politicians should help us rather than work against us like the current government does. 

“However, we’ve organised many events like this, and they still don’t seem to be listening to our concerns. They haven’t even come to the table yet to talk about it,” he continued. 

Harry said that currently “everything is against farmers”, including weather and the government. 

Harry’s father, Chris Suckling, added: “I, as a farmer, feel undervalued. I feel like the government has let us down. It has let the whole industry down. 

“I don’t want it to happen, but I sometimes feel like it would be good if we had some way of making the country feel hungry to value us again, like they did after the Second World War.” 

‘Catastrophic consequences’

In response to the points presented by East Anglia farmers, Mr Moore, who highlighted his agricultural background, said that farmers and farming representatives, such as NFU and CLA, have done a great job of uniting and putting their case against changes to IHT before the government. 

He continued: “What’s been incredibly frustrating is the government has not shown any chink in their armour so far in being willing to either accept this or realise the negative impact of it on food security, or indicate that they’re willing to change before this decision is voted on. 

“We have until the autumn period to make sure that the government absolutely realises the negative impacts of all of this. This isn’t just a financial impact. This legislation will have impacts on the emotional health and livelihoods of farming families.” 

Mr Moore added that the Conservatives are promising a return to 100% agricultural property relief and business property relief, if they regain power at the next election. 

“The consequences of no change being made by any government minister will not only be catastrophic to farming family businesses but will also be catastrophic for UK food production, as well as for the next generations of farmers,” he concluded. 

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The protest rally will take place outside the annual Welsh Labour Party Conference in Llandudno on Saturday, 28th June, at 9am. 

The Welsh Labour conference, held at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, will be hosted between 27th and 29th June. 

The organisers said: “We’re heading to Llandudno to make our voices heard loud and clear. There will be boats in the water, tractors on the promenade, farmers, families, workers standing shoulder to shoulder. 

“We’ve tried to engage with Labour. They’re not listening. From TB chaos to IHT betrayal, Blue Tongue mishandling, the disaster of SFI & SFS and the increasing takeover of Welsh farming policy by NGOs and unaccountable biodiversity groups – enough is enough. 

“This is your moment to stand up. Let’s make sure this is Labour’s last conference in power. 

“Bring your tractor. Bring your pickup. Bring your feet. Bring a friend. The more bodies we have on the ground, the louder the message to London and Cardiff.” 

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Farmers To Action and Enough is Enough concluded: “No confidence in Keir – by the pier! United we stand, divided we fall.” 

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The poll revealed paramedics, farmers and armed forces personnel were cited by the public as deserving greater recognition for the physically and mentally draining work they do.

Farmers came in eighth on the list of the top 20 jobs that were viewed as the UK’s toughest. Firefighters came in first place, followed by paramedics, surgeons and nurses, then police officers, armed forces and care workers.

This was judged according to criteria including physical demands, danger and risk, and work environment.

The poll of 2,000 people was commissioned by Samsung to launch its latest Rugged device range, designed to thrive in harsh work environments.

“Farming isn’t for the faint-hearted”

To emphasise the importance of durable technology in tough jobs, Samsung enlisted farmer and shepherdess Amanda Owen to give an insight into the realities of working life on a farm. 

From mucking out and herding animals, to operating machinery and navigating unpredictable weather, Amanda shared how physically demanding farm life can be. 

Amanda commented: “Farming isn’t for the faint hearted – we’re up before dawn, battling the elements, and it takes real resilience out here. In this environment, our tech needs to be just as tough – anything that can’t handle water or a drop is a liability. 

“We need something rugged on the outside and smart on the inside, that can keep up with the job.”

Two thirds of respondants (62%) agreed that tough jobs need more recognition in the UK– saying that they play a vital role in keeping the country running (64%), often work long hours with little rest (46%) and face hazardous conditions daily (62%).

Meanwhile, 63% of people believe for a job to be ‘tough’ it must take place in an extreme environment. 58% of jobs which can be considered challenging also involve working with dangerous equipment, with a further 55% fearing dangerous people.

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The top 20 toughest jobs:

1. Firefighter (45%)
2. Paramedic (44%)
3. Surgeon (44%)
4. Nurse (37%)
5. Police officer (34%)
6. Armed Forces personnel (28%)
7. Care worker (22%)
8. Farmer (20%)
9. Teacher (20%)
10. Social worker (18%)
11. Fisherman (16%)
12. Construction worker (15%)
13. Agricultural Labourer (11%)
14. Builder/bricklayer (9%)
15. Underground utility worker (9%)
16. Scaffolder (6%)
17. Mechanic (6%)
18. Roofer (6%)
19. Refuse collector (bin worker) (5%)
20. Train driver (5%)

Physically demanding roles

The poll also revealed that nearly half (46%) of respondents said they don’t feel like they have the resilience to take on a physically demanding role, a figure that dropped to 40% among men.

In contrast, 52% of women believe they have what it takes to handle roles that might require higher levels of emotional and mental capacity.

When it comes to younger generations, 61% of those aged 18–24 have considered taking up physically tough roles when exploring career options. This compares with just 11% of boomers, who said they prefer to steer clear of jobs they’d deem tough.

Two in five (38%) agree there’s a misconception that physically demanding jobs don’t require robust technology.

The poll also revealed that nine in 10 of those to respond valued devices that can withstand harsh conditions. Reducing physical strain through equipment (54%), alerting workers to risks more quickly (53%) and automating repetitive tasks (45%) were cited as ways to ease pressure. 

Rugged range 

Annika Bizon, mobile experience VP of product & marketing, Samsung UK&I commented: “Tough roles demand robust support. Whether it’s maintaining connectivity in the field or ensuring mission-critical tasks aren’t interrupted, having the right tech in place is essential. 

“The Rugged range has been engineered specifically for these environments – combining military-grade durability with the business tools workforces require.”

The Samsung Rugged range, which includes the Galaxy XCover7 Pro and Tab Active5 Pro, is designed to take on tough, rugged environments, offering water and dust resistance, drop protection, long battery life as well as replaceable batteries, and enhanced touch sensitivity for use in the rain or with gloves.

From construction sites and emergency callouts to remote locations and extreme weather – where phone failure simply isn’t an option – Samsung says the range is built to go the distance with those who keep the country running. 

Key features:

• Military-grade protection, taking up to a 1.8m drop with the cover on
• Programmable hot key allows you to set up shortcuts for frequently used apps
• You can transform the device into a walkie-talkie, torch, scanner, payment terminal or whatever you need it to be
• Ability to set up Knox Suite swiftly with QuickStart Go means teams can be up and running with business-ready devices in no time, while Samsung Knox security keeps data protected against malware or threats
• Three-year warranty, up to eight years of security maintenance releases and eight generations of operating system updates
• Next-business-day doorstep exchange.

The Samsung Rugged devices are available to purchase now. For more information, visit https://www.samsung.com/uk/business/mobile/rugged/.

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The Country Land and Business Association and several high-profile nature groups have joined forces following CLA’s poll of nearly 500 farmers, which has found that the majority would abandon nature-friendly practices and revert to intensive methods if government funding is cut.

The study comes ahead of the chancellor’s statement that will take place tomorrow, confirming all departmental finances for 2027-2030, including the farming budget.

On the eve of the spending review, a joint letter has been sent to farming minister Daniel Zeichner outlining the impact a reduced budget will have on nature.

Groups including the RSPB, National Trust, Soil Association and the Nature Friendly Farming Network have signed the letter, which outlines how the organisations are ‘deeply concerned about the rumoured cuts to the agricultural budget in the upcoming spending review’.

In the letter, they warn that any reduction in the budget will be ‘catastrophic’ to the government’s aims.

It reads: ‘Many of the environmental features present in the countryside and enjoyed by the public will be under threat and will disappear. This would be a poor legacy for this government.’

‘Nature will suffer as well as farmers’

CLA president Victoria Vyvyan said: “If funding for sustainable farming schemes is cut, government won’t just abandon nature – it will abandon its word.

“The Sustainable Farming Incentive is working – for farmers, for nature, for the public, and for the Treasury. It’s bringing back wildlife, cleaning up rivers, and restoring the health of our soil.

“Take that funding away, and farmers will be pushed back to intensive methods – forced to undo years of progress. Nature will suffer as well as farmers, and on the environment, it will go against everything government claims to agree with.”

The fresh CLA poll of 460 members has found:

• 88% say they will have to revert to intensive farming if funding is pulled for Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship schemes.

• 95% say they will reduce the amount of land managed for the environment.

• 98% say that Labour does not understand or respect rural communities.

• 99% don’t trust Labour to make decisions that benefit their business. 

• 76% say they are not in a position to fully fund the land management actions in their SFI/ CS agreements by themselves. 

‘Farming is already an uncertain enough business’

CLA vice president Joe Evans said: “The Sustainable Farming Incentive is a brilliant policy – it’s good for the farmer, the environment, the consumer, and the government. It is one of the most ambitious, forward-thinking agricultural schemes in the world, and we can see from the sheer variety of nature returning to our farmland that it is working.   

“If funding is withdrawn from the schemes, almost all our farmers will have no choice but to return to intensive farming – and it will become the latest betrayal from a government that promised it was here to help, not make things worse.”  

James Cameron, a farmer from East Kennett, said that since entering these schemes, his farm has become a “haven for nature”.  

“What was once arable land is now species-rich grassland. Red-listed birds, butterflies and bees have all returned in full force. What we’ve been able to build is magical. But now, all of that could vanish.” 

Mr Cameron explained that his farm’s entire financial model depends on the scheme. 

“If funding is cut, it will be disastrous. We can’t afford to fund all this work ourselves, and the private sector simply isn’t there yet. We may have no choice but to re-adopt intensive farming practices just to stay afloat.  

“Farming is already an uncertain enough business. We need a government that brings stability, not one that plays policy roulette and makes it impossible to operate at every turn,” he concluded. 

READ MORE: Could you help Baroness Batters shape farm profitability review?

READ MORE: Why has farming income increased by £1.6bn despite challenges?

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Baroness Batters has recently been asked by Defra secretary Steve Reed to provide recommendations on farm profitability to him and the farming minister.

She will provide short-, medium- and long-term recommendations and propose actions for government and industry that will support farming profitability as part of this government’s New Deal for Farmers.

Baroness Batters has now issued a plea to farmers, asking for their opinions about, among others, the biggest barriers and/or opportunities relating to profitability in their sector.

She wrote in the letter: ‘As a fellow farmer and ex-president of the NFU, I don’t need to tell you the vital role that farmers and growers play. Farms are fundamentally businesses that need to be able to make a profit.

‘They are also homes to families, and nearly 50% of farms in England are tenanted. I am determined to use this opportunity to provide meaningful recommendations to government, food retailers, processors and manufacturers.’

Baroness Batters explained that she is intentionally taking a broad definition of profitability underpinned by two core principles:

• Farms are businesses that produce an agricultural yield of some kind (per the Agriculture Act).

• Farm income is the revenue generated by a farm after all expenses have been deducted. This is fundamental to farm viability and their ability to reinvest.

Farming representative bodies to act as ‘convenors’

Baroness Batters said that she will meet with “as many interested groups as possible” within her six-month appointment. She will also be joining Defra’s sector groups over the summer to get the views needed for the review.

The former NFU president continued: ‘In advance of those meetings, I wanted to give you a little more detail of how I will be approaching my review.

“Firstly, I want to focus on a small number of impactful short, medium and long-term recommendations. I appreciate there will be multiple issues affecting farming at different levels and in different sectors, but I’m also conscious the recommendations must be viable with government and others.

‘My ask of each of the sectors is to coalesce around: three to four big barriers and/or opportunities relating to profitability in your sector, and corresponding solutions to these issues.

‘I would particularly welcome any case studies to demonstrate the problems you identify as part of this process.’

Baroness Batters added that, although she is open to listening to individual views, she has a limited period to conduct this work.

Therefore, she asked farming and growing representative bodies and sector-specific groups to “act as convenors to pull together views and put forward clear actionable proposals” that she can in turn consider helping shape her review recommendations.

Farmers asked to ‘think outside the box’

Baroness Batters has also said that the review is a “rare opportunity to step back and think about how everyone can shape the future for their sector”.

In her letter, she encourages farmers to “think outside the box” on solutions to increase profitability in the sector. Having said that, the solutions must be deliverable in the world that we live in, not the world we’d like to live in.

‘They cannot therefore be limited to government action or interventions alone, as they need to be deliverable in the tight fiscal environment this government is operating in.

‘As such, the solutions must also include what the sector and supply chain can do differently,’ the letter continues.

The recommendations should be sent to farmingprofitabilityreview@defra.gov.uk by Friday, 11th July, at the latest.

READ MORE: Former NFU president Minette Batters to lead farm profitability review

Read more farm business news.

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