THE NFU Cymru and the NFU have organised a mass lobby of MPs in response to the UK Government’s ‘misguided and ill-thought-out’ proposed reforms to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR), which they say will have a devastating impact on Welsh family farms.

The mass lobby, in London on Tuesday November 19, will give farmers the opportunity to meet with and highlight to their MPs why changes announced in the Budget have caused so much worry and anguish in their farming communities. The unions have also written to the Secretary of State for Wales, seeking an urgent meeting following the Budget announcement.

NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said: “For decades APR and BPR have underpinned viable working farming businesses, of all shapes and sizes. NFU Cymru’s fear is that this week’s changes, if they go ahead as planned, will cause lasting damage to Welsh farming, leading to the break-up of family farms – farms that contribute to the nation’s food security, our rural communities, the economy and of course the Welsh language.

“Returns from farming are typically extremely modest. This means that the vast majority of farm owners would be unable to meet an inheritance tax charge, leaving them with little choice but to take on additional borrowings or to sell off part of the farm in order to meet the charge, which may well render the farm unviable as a business. So, whilst a family farm may look like a valuable asset on paper, that doesn’t mean those who work it are wealthy or are able to meet a large tax bill.”

NFU Cymru has also rebutted the assertion that most family farms would not be captured by the proposed new tax. Aled Jones said: “With agricultural assets over £1m attracting inheritance tax at a rate of 20% from April 2026, I am afraid that the majority of Wales’ working family farms will be brought into the scope of this tax, rather than it being a tax which captures those individuals who have purchased agricultural land as a speculative investment.

“With so much at risk for the Welsh family farm, we’re urging the UK Government to reverse their proposed changes to APR and BPR.”