Farm anger intensifies as tractors descend on Co Tyrone Tesco

Tractors and farm vehicles filled the Tesco car park in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, as farmers staged their largest protest yet over inheritance tax changes and supermarket pressure on incomes.

The demonstration marked week four of the county-by-county campaign, with farmers travelling from across Northern Ireland including Coleraine, Dungiven, Benburb and Omagh.

Organisers say the weekly protests are part of “IHT Phase 2” and are building towards early March, when letters sent to 11 of the UK’s largest corporate food retailers — including Tesco — will seek backing for four key demands aimed at protecting the long-term survival of family farms.

William Taylor of Farmers For Action said: “All credit must go to all those farmers, young and older, that came… to support the continuing IHT Phase 2 weekly protests.”

He said the campaign is focused on pressing retailers to support questions relating to fair returns, supply chain balance and the wider viability of family farming, and to lobby government accordingly.

In a pointed comparison, Mr Taylor said that while George Best once helped promote Cookstown’s famous sausage, the protests are about preventing “giant corporate food retailers sucking the financial life blood” out of rural communities.

Leaflets outlining the group’s concerns were distributed to Tesco shoppers throughout the evening.

Sean McAuley of Farmers For Action said: “The stars of the night were the ladies who handed out the flyers to Tesco shoppers, our customers.”

He also praised a local farmer who joined the effort, telling organisers: “somebody has to get the message out!”

Organisers said the turnout was so strong that they ran out of leaflets before the end of the protest.

The Cookstown event forms part of a wider escalation of farmer-led demonstrations across the UK in 2026, with supermarket depots and major retailers targeted in England.

Campaigners across the country say low farmgate returns, rising input costs and uncertainty surrounding inheritance tax reforms are placing growing strain on family businesses.

Tesco has not publicly responded to the Cookstown protest.

The next demonstration in Northern Ireland will take place on Thursday 26 February at Tesco Bridgewater Retail Park in Banbridge, Co Down.

Organisers say pressure will intensify unless retailers and ministers engage directly with farmers’ concerns.