UK first farming strike to hit national wheat reserves

A group of British farmers is taking unprecedented action by refusing to supply milling wheat from April 1, in what is being called the UK’s first-ever farming strike. 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 ...