UK first farming strike to hit national wheat reserves

Clive Bailye, one of the organisers of the protest, explained the motivation behind the strike.

“From April 1, a large number of farmers have agreed they will not load milling wheat out of stores,” he said on his platform ‘The Farming Forum’, “others are urged to join them to demonstrate the fragility of supply chains and that dependency on imports is not smart.”

The timing of the action is deliberate, coinciding with a period of increased demand for bakery products due to Easter celebrations, school holidays, and warm weather encouraging barbecues.

The refusal to load milling wheat means that flour supplies could quickly tighten, leading to shortages of bread, hot cross buns, and other baked goods. Olly Harrison, a farmer from Merseyside and co-organiser of the London Tractor Rally held in February, expressed the lengths the sector is willing to go to in order to be herd.

“Farmers that are growing milling wheat are going on strike. They will not be loading any trucks with milling wheat. We are probably going to run out of flour, which means we will run out of hot cross buns and bread.”

If the protest is successful, it could force a wider conversation about Britain’s food security and the financial pressures faced by UK farmers following the chances to inheritance tax and both agricultural and business property relief following the Autumn Budget.

The organisers are urging farmers and consumers to take the following action:

• Milling wheat growers are asked to refuse to load wheat for at least the first two weeks of April. Farmers with existing contracts have until the end of the month to deliver.
• Shoppers are encouraged to buy extra flour and bakery products, potentially accelerating shortages and drawing attention to the issue.
• Supporters are urged to spread the word across farming and non-farming networks, using media and social media to amplify the campaign.

This strike comes amid increasing concerns over the viability of British farming, as farmers face rising costs, supply chain pressures, and increased reliance on imported goods.

The hope among organisers is that this action will force policymakers and retailers to address what they see as an unsustainable food system.