Watch as UFU tractor protest gets underway and tractors hit the road

Seven rallies have just taken place across Northern Ireland, with two in Co Down.

The Co Down event received massive support, with farmers turning out to follow two routes – to Banbridge and the second to Saintfield.

The rallies co-ordinated by the NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and Ulster Farmers’ Union, took place across the UK as part of a National Day of Unity.

Farmers gathered in towns and cities to thank the British public for their support in this campaign and to underline that the farming industry will continue to fight in the face of this unjust policy until the tax is subject to proper scrutiny.

A petition signed by more than 270,000 members of the public was handed in to 10 Downing Street on Friday by NFU President Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru President Aled Jones, on behalf of the four UK farming unions, urging government to ditch its devastating family farm tax.

The campaign was launched following announcements by Chancellor Rachel Reeves during the Budget last October, which dealt a hammer blow to farming families nationwide with changes to Agriculture Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). After decades of tightening margins, record inflation, increased production costs and extreme weather, many farmers and growers are at breaking point and simply will not be able to afford the increased tax bill they will now face.