Last week I was in Westminster for the NFU Annual Conference, a chance to catch up with members from across Wales and England, to meet politicians from across the political spectrum and to meet with fellow NFU Presidents from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In his first address to Conference as NFU President NFU President Tom Bradshaw called on the UK government to set a new course for British food and farming, starting with a reset in the relationship with the nation’s food producers – the farming families who are still reeling after the Chancellor’s disastrous budget.

Inheritance Tax unsurprisingly dominated the Conference, with Defra Secretary Steve Reed taking to the stage for the political session. He stressed his respect for the NFU and British farming, but said he could not give farmers the answer they were looking for on the tax. NFU Cymru members in attendance reminded Steve Reed that the inheritance tax issue is overshadowing everything because it makes it impossible to plan ahead and make the long-term investments required to deliver a productive, profitable and progressive farming industry.

I chaired the session on ‘Science and technology to grow’ and opened by saying that agriculture in this country has a proud tradition of innovation. Professor Michael Lee, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Harper Adams University and Phil Bicknell, CEO, UK Agri-Tech Centre, led the debate on how science and technology are helping to improve farmers’ productivity, animal welfare and profits. It is so important that we invest and support agricultural research and technological innovation and that the work done in our research institutes is quickly disseminated onto farm.

Displayed outside NFU Conference was a display of thousands of toy tractors which were donated from farming families from across the country, each portraying a poignant message to Rachel Reeves about what the changes to inheritance tax will mean for their children’s futures.

Also featuring a range of new and old machinery, the display represents the importance of farming through the generations, and all that is at stake if the family farm tax goes ahead.

Earlier in the day, a basket of pre-loved farm toys was handed over to the Treasury by three generations of a farming family with a heartfelt message to the Chancellor – that the unjust family farm tax will deny the children of Britain’s farming families a future in the industry.

At NFU Cymru our message is very clear. We will keep fighting this battle until the UK government starts to listen, considers our alternative proposals and ultimately takes action.