Farming protest: Young Essex farmer says future ‘nerve-wracking’

Jenny Hollington, 67, said she was most worried about farmers in rural areas who could not diversify to make a profit.

“The people who live further out and rely on livestock… they’ve got no chance at all. Even in Suffolk and Norfolk, there’s not the diversification, and that’s not a million miles away and it’s going to hit them really, really hard.”

She said she was also concerned about changes to the National Minimum Wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions which could stop her employing young people to work at a paintballing business at her farm in Abridge.

“We do pride ourselves on the fact we’ve employed so many people and helped so many youngsters,” she continued.

“Some of them have had problems and by having some direction and working with us it’s put them in very good stead and turned them into very good people.”