Farmers blockade Tesco supermarket depots in surprise raid

Farmers have staged early-morning blockades at Tesco supermarket depots across the country today (12 January), halting the movement of food lorries in a dramatic escalation of protests over prices, imports and a tax policy that they say threaten Britain’s food security and family farms.

From just after midnight on Sunday, tractors and farm vehicles blocked access to several Tesco distribution centres, including sites in Peterborough, Doncaster and Hinckley.

Loaded lorries were prevented from entering or leaving, while empty vehicles and supermarket staff were allowed through in what organisers described as a targeted, “static blockade” designed to disrupt supply chains without endangering staff.

See also: Video: Farmers stage midnight blockade of supermarket depots

In Peterborough, tractors were seen displaying slogans such as “Raised right, raised British” and “Labour out”, as farmers accused retailers and government policy of pushing domestic food production to the brink.

Police were present at the Hinckley depot as the protest continued into the morning.

The protests are being staged by the same farmers who blockaded supermarket distribution centres in Daventry, Northamptonshire on Sunday 4 January.

Stagnant prices, soaring inputs

Farmers say the action is a response to years of falling real incomes, weak supply chain regulation, and what they describe as a flood of cheaper food imports produced to standards that would be illegal in the UK.

They argue that while supermarket profits have risen, farmgate prices have stagnated, leaving producers unable to cover rising costs.

In an interview with GB News, a farmer at the Peterborough blockade described the pressure facing arable farming businesses.

“In 2008, wheat was £170 a tonne. Fertiliser was a few hundred pounds and a 200-horsepower tractor was £50,000,” said Lincolnshire farmer Ed Pritchard.

“In 2026, wheat is still £170 a tonne, fertiliser is well in excess of £400 a tonne, and that same tractor is £150,000. We just can’t carry on like this.”

Protesters are also warning that proposed changes to farm inheritance tax (IHT) risk breaking up family farms and undermining long-term domestic food production.

“This is about protecting the food Britain relies on,” organisers said, arguing that high animal welfare and environmental standards cannot survive if they are undercut by imports produced more cheaply overseas.

Farmers are calling on the government to reverse proposed IHT changes, introduce a fairer and more transparent supply chain to guarantee sustainable prices, and require all imported food sold in the UK to meet the same standards as British produce.

© Phil’s Farming/Facebook

Farmers being undercut

Philip Weston, a fifth-generation farmer from Hartwell, Northamptonshire, is a spokesman for the group. He took part in the Hinckley depot blockade, which started at about 4am.

He said: “While large supermarkets such as Tesco are importing produce from abroad with products that would otherwise be illegal to grow in the UK, farmers are suffering from an uneven playing field.

“Produce from abroad doesn’t meet our standards and is far cheaper to produce as a result. The investment UK farmers have to make simply to comply with standards puts us on the back foot.”

He added: “Coupled now with the IHT proposals, there’s no real incentive to invest and be able to supply an unrealistic marketplace that doesn’t take into account our input and investment costs.”

Mr Weston said farmers at the Hinckley blockade were forced to move by police at about 6am. He said farmers then staged a go-slow tractor protest at the site as lorries were leaving the depot.

Tractor protest outside Parliament today (Monday) © FW contributor

Farmers protest outside Parliament today (Monday) © FW contributor

The depot blockades mark the opening phase of a wider campaign.

Farmers gathered in London later in the day for “a reminder protest before the vote”, lobbying MPs ahead of a debate on the Finance Bill, which includes the changes to farm IHT.

Their message, organisers say, is simple: “IHT out. Think food security.”

Last week, the NFU announced an end to its Stop the family farm tax campaign following the government’s announcement before Christmas that it would be increasing the proposed farm IHT threshold from £1m to £2.5m (£5m for married couples or civil partners).

NFU ends tax campaign

Speaking during a Farmers Weekly Question Time event at the Oxford Farming Conference last week, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “We recognise that there will still be farming families that are above the threshold, where the ownership may be with one person of an elderly generation and it will still be challenging.

“For them, the changes do mitigate some of the tax liability, but clearly there will still be some tax to be paid.

“What I think we’ve done is get to the best compromise that we could from the government of the day and, once the next political opportunity comes, we will be looking to get further changes to this policy.

“But we really believe that’s when we look to manifestos ahead of the next general election, whenever it comes.”

Tesco has been approached for comment.