The department in charge of British food production has been slammed for hiring two net-zero champions whilst doubling down on plans to slap British farmers with ‘punishing’ death duties.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is hiring a CEO for its eco-packaging quango on £135,000pa and a ‘Head of Systems, Innovation, Net Zero Research and Partnerships’ on £79,160pa.

It comes as Defra Secretary Steve Reed doubled down on controversial plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers today, a move experts, lobby groups and some Labour MPs have all said will harm Britain’s food security.

Reed, who was heckled at the event, has repeatedly told farmers the government has been forced to make ‘tough decisions’ to plug the £22billion black hole.

Steve Reed at today's NFU conference

Keir Starmer went so far as pitting farmers against the NHS, telling voters they must choose between tax relief for farmers or tackling NHS backlogs.

It is all part of Labour’s plan to paint the picture they are getting the nation’s finances back on track and part of that is asking farmers to pay more.

But critics have attacked the move and questioned why there is money available for eye-watering civil service net-zero jobs but not supporting British farmers.

As well as being paid £135,000pa, the CEO of PackUK (eco-packaging quango) will receive a Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97 per cent.

That means UK taxpayers will be paying £39,000 a year into the CEO’s pension. Assuming the CEO holds the job for ten years, that’s a bill of £1.74million in salary and pension payments to the taxpayer.

The job requires being at the ‘heart of one of the most important and powerful environmental reforms of our time’ and is all about making packaging greener to achieve net zero goals.

Reed was interrupted by protestors during his speech

The next ‘Head of Systems, Innovation, Net Zero Research and Partnerships’ will be paid similarly handsomely with a salary of £79,160pa and pension contributions of 28.97 per cent (£18,955 into the pension each year).

The job, which includes ‘overseeing the Department’s Net Zero Research programme’, offers flexible working, a new Windows 10 Laptop, smartphone and rucksack as well as a raft of discounts and subsidies on food, drink and shopping.

It comes as farmers united in London’s QE2 centre today to urge Defra to reconsider their ‘punitive’ death tax.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Let me be clear. This policy is morally wrong and economically flawed.

“It’s wrong because we were all promised that it wouldn’t happen. And Conference, when you make a promise to farmers, you keep it.

“More importantly, the Family Farm Tax is morally wrong because of the real, human impact it’s having - now, today. As President of the NFU, I have received hundreds of desperate messages, taken hundreds of panicked calls.

“Today, I worry about the tenant farmer whose home and livelihood may be taken away, because a landlord is often better off taking their land back in hand.

“I worry about former tenants too. People who have scraped everything together, risked it all to finally buy their farm. They are now facing an unpayable bill.

“I worry about the next generation whose entire future in the industry is now in question.

“Most of all I fear for elderly farmers, and think of the grandson who wrote to me about his 94 year old grandfather.

“This isn’t just money, this is blood, sweat and tears. The farm was their life’s work, but as they have grown older, the farm has also become their pension – because that’s what they were told to do.

“That all changed, on October 30th last year. Without warning. The mental health pressures are unbearable.

“As difficult as this is to hear, many older farmers are now facing the very real dilemma that, unless they die before April 2026, their children will face a Family Farm Tax bill they simply don’t make enough money to pay.

“What a cruel position to put elderly people in with no warning, by way of a broken promise, and one the government must urgently correct.”

NFU President Tom Bradshaw was also interrupted by protestors at the conference

Defra Secretary Steve Reed, having refused to apologise to farmers whose mental health had been damaged by this tax, did appear to say sorry this time.

The MP for the urban seat of Streatham and Croydon North, who worked in publishing and Lambeth Council before Westminster, said: "Now, I can’t give the answer I know many of you want on inheritance tax.

“But I want you to know that I understand the strength of feeling in the room and in the sector, we can see an example of that right in front of me right now. And I am sorry it’s a decision that we’ve had to take."

As tractor horns blared outside, Reed unveiled a package of measures designed to soften the inheritance tax blow and try to win back support from the countryside.

His measures included extending the Seasonal Worker Visa Programme, £30million for stewardship schemes and backing British produce in Government contracts for things like schools and prisons.

Reed also set out a 25-year Farming Roadmap which aimed to promote food production alongside achieving nature and environment goals.

Defra has been approached for comment.