Retail depots targeted as farmer protests widen across England and NI

Tractor protests spread again on Thursday evening (29 January), with farmers restricting access at Tesco and Asda distribution sites in Oxfordshire and Leicestershire, as further action was also reported in Co Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

The demonstrations form part of a widening UK-wide campaign over inheritance tax reforms, supermarket pricing and food standards, with farmers warning that policy changes and low returns are putting the future of family farms at risk.

On Thursday night, tractors were positioned at the entrances to Tesco and Asda distribution centres in Didcot, Oxfordshire, limiting vehicle movements as part of coordinated action aimed at major retailers.

Similar protests were later reported at Asda’s Magna Park depot in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, extending the evening action into the Midlands.

Further protests were also reported in Co Londonderry, Northern Ireland, highlighting the growing geographic spread of the campaign beyond mainland Britain.

Farmers For Action, which organised the Northern Ireland protest, said the action was intended to challenge major retailers to take a more active role in addressing pressures on family farms.

The group said farmers want supermarkets to publicly commit to lobbying the UK government on issues including inheritance tax, farmgate pricing and food standards.

It called for an end to inheritance tax on farms, the introduction of a UK-wide welfare framework to ensure farmers are paid at least the true cost of production plus a margin, and action to reduce what it described as unnecessary food imports that increase emissions.

The group also raised concerns about imports of food produced to lower standards than those required of UK farmers.

In a statement, Farmers For Action said family farmers were asking retailers to “turn over a new leaf” and support change at Westminster.

Farmers say distribution centres have become a focus for protests because they represent key pressure points in the food supply chain and the buying power of major retailers, which they argue continues to drive down farmgate prices.

Campaigners say January has become a flashpoint after months of warnings to government and retailers, with little movement on issues they believe threaten the long-term viability of farm businesses.

They argue that recent and proposed changes to inheritance tax reliefs could make it harder for farms to be passed on to the next generation, while rising input costs and reliance on lower-standard imports continue to squeeze margins.

Last week, farmers also targeted national infrastructure, with tractors blockading vehicle access at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk overnight from just after midnight on 23 January until around 7am.

The port, the UK’s largest container hub, handles a significant share of the UK’s container traffic, making it a high-profile focus for protest, despite assurances that shipping operations were not disrupted.

Banners attached to tractors read “Save our farms, save our future, fight the tax” and “Back British farming”, as demonstrators voiced opposition to current government policy.

East Anglia Farmers Unite, the group behind the Felixstowe action, said the protest formed part of coordinated national activity.

“Farmers are out at the port of Felixstowe in alliance with other farmers across the UK blockading supermarket depos and ports in protest against cheap lower standard imports and inheritance tax,” the group said.

In a statement issued during the Felixstowe protest, a port spokesperson said the action had been anticipated and steps were taken to limit disruption.

“We were made aware of the proposed protest and worked with port users to mitigate its impact,” they said.

They added: “The protest caused no disruption to shipping operations but some minor inconvenience to landside operations. We would like to apologise to any of our customers who were affected.”

More than 15 farmers were reported to have taken part in the Felixstowe blockade, which formed part of a wider series of actions across the country.

Earlier this month, tractors blockaded Tesco distribution centres in Peterborough, Doncaster and Hinckley, preventing lorries from entering or leaving the sites.

Farmers also targeted Lidl distribution centres across England, including locations in Peterborough, Doncaster — close to the retailer’s UK headquarters — and Houghton Regis near Luton.

Farmers involved in the protests say their demands centre on protecting agricultural property relief, securing fairer prices for British produce and ensuring imported food meets equivalent production standards.

They say further action is likely unless progress is made on tax policy, retailer pricing and food standards, signalling that the current wave of protests could continue in the coming weeks.