NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones has met with Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray MP and Food Security Minister Daniel Zeichner following changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, announced last autumn and due take effect from April 2026.

Mr Jones said: “We have been seeking a meeting with the Treasury since October when the budget was delivered, in order to try and work together constructively and find a solution to a policy that has the potential to cause irreparable damage to family farming businesses across the UK. We went into today’s meeting with a fully costed, revenue neutral alternative proposal to put to the government, which would allow those who wish to continue farming and producing the nation’s food to continue to do so. It therefore disturbs me immensely to say that there was no engagement and no willingness to even consider alternative proposals from the Treasury and their position appears unchanged.

“That position seems to be entrenched based on flawed data and assumptions, and completely resistant to any suggestion that they may simply have ‘got this wrong’. I am baffled that the UK Government remains intent on pursuing such a deeply damaging policy in light of challenge by the Office of Budgetary Responsibility, the House of Commons’ Efra Select Committee, all the serious concerns expressed by farmer representative organisations, politicians of all parties, professional bodies including independent tax experts and businesses from the four corners of the UK.

“Standing firmly together with colleagues from NFU, NFU Scotland and Ulster Farmers Union, NFU Cymru has, at every available opportunity, highlighted the implications of this destructive policy to the UK Government and policymakers far and wide, leaving no stone unturned as we seek to get the government to think again. Regrettably, our representations have so far simply been ignored, our reasonable exhortations have been dismissed, every conciliating gesture rebuffed and the alternative proposals which we presented have been rejected without consideration.

“If the government is truly intent on pursuing this policy it must also own and understand the long-term outcomes. I have no confidence in the government’s policy choices, the damage to family farms, the impact to farmers well-being, the loss of farmer and wider business confidence, the impact on long term domestic food production, food prices, our tenanted sector and of course our unique language and culture.

“This has been a bruising process, and to date we have not been able to secure the outcome that we desired. We face an incredibly difficult situation but there is still time for the Treasury to stop and think again. The legitimate proposal we put to the Minister and his officials today remains on the table for their consideration and I urge them to reconsider. It will still enable Treasury to raise further funds, it will offer a fairer and more balanced way forward and removes much of the jeopardy for our agricultural sector, including the significant emotional and financial pressures, not forgetting the risks to national food security.”