'We need to learn from our history...protect our ability to produce food at all costs'

LABOUR'S inheritance tax raid on farms risks harming the nation's food security as the world becomes increasingly less stable, a TV farming star has warned.

- Jane Warren

Roger Nicholson, 82, the owner of 200-acre Cannon Hall Farm, known to millions from the Channel 5 series Springtime on the Farm, believes the Government is failing to learn from rural neglect in the 1930s as Hitler rose to power.

Roger's father Charlie joined official efforts to boost local yields as a member of the War Agricultural Executive Committee.

"Food production is the most important thing that the British population needs," says the great-grandfather whose sons, Rob, 56, and Dave, 54, are the third-generation custodians of the farm at Cawthorne, South Yorkshire.

Roger was speaking out as European leaders met this week as part of the UK-led "coalition of the willing" to safeguard Ukraine's security as US support falters.

He says: "Having I've experienced rationing after the war, I never expected to be in a position again where food security wasn't taken seriously by our Government.

"Now, in an unstable world, suffering from the privations of war and climate change, we need to learn from history. We need to protect our ability to produce food at all costs.

"We could probably ride out one go of inheritance tax but if you start selling land to pay the debt it's a road to nowhere.

"We can't be sure the countries we import food from now won't fall victim to war, drought, wild-fires and flooding, indeed many already are."

His concerns are echoed by Rob and Dave who are bringing new miniature horses to the farm. Cannon Hall diversified into tourism under Roger's direction 36 years ago to survive, and they are delighted with the attraction's new arrivals.