Pesticide tax would clobber farmers
26 July 1999
Pesticide tax ‘would clobber farmers’
THE governments proposed pesticides tax would have a devastating impact on agriculture, according to farmers leaders and agrochemical firms.
They say the tax would add up to £350 million in extra costs to the industry, destroy many small family farmers and lead to rural unemployment.
The National Farmers Union has already met the government to voice its opposition to the tax.
It also wants the government to exempt agriculture from a proposed new fuel tax on industry, which it estimates would cost agriculture £260m a year.
The British Agrochemical Association said the pesticides tax would cost as much to administer as it raised for the Treasury.
It said training, education and better use of pesticides had already produced environmental benefits and would continue to do so.