Cornish farmers took to the streets in a 'tractor rally' on Saturday in what marks the latest flare-up in an ongoing row over "extreme" green schemes, plummeting supermarket prices and food security.
The rally, which saw over a dozen tractors and farm vehicles roll through Truro, was planned to show solidarity with farmers across the UK and Europe - many of which have been demonstrating since December last year.
Organisers Farmers Movement Cornwall (FMC) said agricultural workers' livelihoods were threatened by net-zero-aligned "extreme environmental policies", and drew attention to protests in Wales, where the Welsh Government's Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) has caused uproar.
In scenes similar to those in Canterbury earlier this month, tractors decked in Union Flag bunting and bearing slogans like "end the net zero madness" proceeded through the cathedral city, as Cornish and British flag-waving bystanders cheered and clapped.
The FMC's Farmer Pete (pictured) slammed both the UK and Wales' green policies
YouTube/Facebook
In a statement, FMC said: "The Welsh Labour government has laid out a proposal that mandates all farms in Wales to have 20 per cent of their land in woodland and rewilding schemes for them to be eligible for subsidy support.
"This enforced loss of 20 per cent of their income-producing land is the straw that broke the camel’s back of the already struggling farming community.
"The threat to both their livelihoods and to the nation’s home-grown food security cannot be ignored."
Farmer Pete, an outspoken critic of climate policy who helped organise Saturday's protest, said: "We're starting our campaign for agricultural reform... We believe so much is wrong with farming... that nothing short of complete reform is required.
MORE ON FARMERS' PROTESTS:
Protestors and bystanders were seen greeting the vehicles as they arrived in Truro
YouTube/Capturing Cornwall
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"We need to take a completely different approach now - we need a nationalistic approach rather than a globalistic approach to farming in the UK - we need to very quickly secure British food security as much as possible.
"As far as I'm concerned, the main thrust is we have got to get rid of the Climate Change Act 2008, and the 2050 carbon emissions target - net zero.
"This government's policy is destroying the country and farming at a pace never seen before. The farmers are whistleblowing this.
"It's Europe-wide... we've seen protests as far and wide as India and Quebec in Canada. Across the UK, there's a big movement in Wales; we've seen protests in the Cairngorms National Park.
Farmers in Wales have also taken to the streets against the Welsh Government's SFS
PA"Cornish farmers and the Public are coming out to support British farming and to support British food security.
"The SFS in Wales is mandating a 20 per cent use of land to forestry and other rewilding. If you were a farm who didn't have any trees, you would have to put 20 per cent of your land - and hence lose 20 per cent of income - to greening schemes.
"Go green or starve is the message - and that's not right."
The consultation window for the SFS closed earlier this month, but Wales' Minister for Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said: "I have been clear I expect changes to be made to the proposals as a result of the consultation so that we can most effectively support a transition to more sustainable farming in Wales, as our present circumstances demand.
"No decision will be taken on any of the proposals, including how we achieve the requirement for habitat and trees, until a full analysis of the responses has been carried out.
"I’d like to assure everyone who has taken part in the consultation - we are listening and we will take all views into account. We have to get this right, the future of food production in Wales depends on it."
A mission statement from FMC reads: "We stand in solidarity with the wider UK and European farmer protest movements who oppose green policy overreach and globalist attacks on the farming sector which threaten both national food security and the livelihoods of farming families.
"The hardworking, tax-paying people of this £16billion annual turnover industry have been pushed too far for too long - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
"The time has come to organise and stand together to demand change - a comprehensive AGRICULTURAL REFORM BILL proposed by a well-organised farmers protest movement which has the support of related industries and the general public is how to achieve this.
"NO FARMERS, NO FOOD, NO FUTURE!"
GB News has approached the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for comment.
