Bill English was put on the spot this morning when he was asked if the National Party was involved in organising the farmers' protest in Morrinsville today.

Hundreds of farmers took to the streets in Labour leader Jacinda Ardern's home town to protest proposed taxes that could affect farmers.

While in Tukituki near Hastings, Mr English was asked if the protest was organised by a National Party member.

"I'm not aware who's organising it, whoever is organising it though is free to express their opinion," he said.

"I don't know who's organised the protest. The fact is they're expressing a legitimate point of view.

"The other political parties have created the divisiveness."

1 News political reporter Katie Bradford asked, "but farmers in the Waikato aren't the ones using irrigation, so why are they protesting there?"

Mr English said Labour's proposed water tax included "irrigation not just dairy farmers".

"There's a whole horticultural industry and so on."