We need to think on how best to feed the nation

Now we have left the European Union, the Government is wanting to pay farmers to help the environment,but people can’t eat the environment.

We are being told to grow more trees and we need to build three million houses.

Well, we can’t feed 65 million people if we use good farming land to build houses on or plant trees.

We should not be taxing farm land on a speculator value, when the inheritor earns about £200/£300 an acre from farming the land.

We need to prevent multi-nationals from purchasing and controlling large estates.

They could own but only become the landlord. Rents would have to be within income from produce.

One could set up a trust for local council holding so the local councils won’t be able to sell them off.

Larger farms,instead of being sold off, to pay inheritance tax, can be transferred to the farming trust to be used for new young farmers.

Money saved from our contribution to the EU could be used to underwrite loans to new entrants into farming.

There are thousands of young farmers coming out of agricultural college, wanting to farm on their own account, but in the main will only work for someone else.

Those who have a family farm to go to are often penalised when the owners dies by inheritance tax and family members who don’t want to go into farming.

One could have a scheme where they can have a portion of the estate, but have to take a rent for the land if another family member wants to carry on the business.

Hard luck on receiving an agricultural rent as opposed to a capital sum, but so be it.

It’s all for the good of farming and feeding the nation.