Oxford economist Dieter Helm said that the agriculture industry enjoys benefits ‘nobody else in the economy gets’Tax breaks for farmers have caused a “subsidy addiction” and are used to avoid inheritance tax, a government adviser has claimed. Economist Dieter Helm, chair of the Natural Capital Committee, which advises the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), called for a review of the current taxation rules for farmers and said the agricultural sector received a disproportionate level of government support. “What we are rightly weary of is having to compete against farmers in other parts of the world who get greater levels of support, or who have different costs of production because of different policy,” he said. Defra said that Michael Gove, the environment secretary, remained committed to the long-term support of British farmers. A spokesperson for Defra said: “These ideas are not under consideration.

Source: The Guardian July 29, 2017 11:15 UTC