To the sound of farmers sounding their tractor horns outside the conference venue in London, Mr Reed also outlined plans for a 25-year farming roadmap and food strategy, which will prioritise food production and make farm businesses more resilient to shocks such as severe flooding, drought and animal disease.
Shortly after beginning his speech, Mr Reed was confronted by protesters holding banners that were thought to be about the government's plan to force farmers to pay 20% inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m from April 2026, when they were previously exempt.
After his speech to the NFU conference, the environment secretary was heckled and repeatedly challenged in a question-and-answer session over farmers who questioned whether the best tax planning would be to die before the inheritance tax changes came into effect,.
The environment secretary's speech to the National Farmers' Union (NFU) conference was interrupted by protesters who remain angry over the decision to impose inheritance tax on farms.
Mr Reed said he understood "the strength of feeling in the room" but could not "give the answer" the audience wanted on inheritance - which is that the government should scrap the policy.
