A LANCASHIRE commercial plant-grower and greenhouse supplier has accused governments of pushing ‘disastrous anti-farming policies’.

Kim Haley, a Ribble Valley horticulture business owner, claimed UK councils and farmers are under pressure and incentives to ‘sign-up to Net Zero’ – the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Beef and lamb production will fall, and more farmland will bet set aside for non-food production, she claimed.

She highlighted world farmers’ protests and accused governments of being influenced by the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

She told the latest full Ribble Valley Council meeting: “More than  50 per cent of councils are now signed-up to Net Zero. I am concerned about the current plans and policies of this council.

“We live in a rural farming community and it is important to be aware the government is incentivising farmers to cease farming and threatening removal of subsidies unless they offer part of their land to non-food growing purposes.

“Government-funded research papers, Absolute Zero and C40 Cities, make it clear the consequences of UN Agenda 2030 will mean reduced beef and lamb production by 2030 and elimination by 2050. This agenda also intends to halt imports and exports by air or sea, while reducing airports to just two in the UK.

“Has this been discussed with local farmers and butchers, not to mention the wider community, who will be impacted?”

She insisted climate policy has nothing to do with the environment but was about wealth redistribution.

In reply, Conservative Cllr Stephen Atkinson, Ribble Valley Council leader, said: “The council has created a climate change working group of councillors from all political parties with a wide range of views.

“I can assure you this group has robust discussions on the council’s approach to climate change and is certainly not blindly following any particular direction.

“When the working group was established, the council had the foresight to include this sentence in its terms of reference – objectives are realistic and within the remit of Ribble Valley Council’s responsibilities and budgetary controls, and that the working group works towards developing and enhancing the economy of the council and ultimately its business sector.

He added: “The working group has developed a climate change action plan which can be viewed on the council website.”