Rye is surrounded by countryside that consists of many farms run by the same families for decades. This has been put in jeopardy by the measures announced in the budget.
After forty years there will be a change to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) on inheritance tax from zero to 20%, on agricultural assets valued above £1m. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) is disputing treasury claims that just 27% farms would be affected - mainly large estates.
Another department of the government, DEFRA has figures which show 66% of farms are valued over £1m. Farmers are asset rich but cash poor, the assets being land, farm houses, buildings, stock, crops and machinery- the tools to produce food.
Family farms are also keeping the countryside as we know it through environment schemes.
There are millionaires that have used agriculture as a way to avoid paying tax, but surely there must be a better way to close this loophole without jeopardising family farms.
