From Farmer to Farmer – Your Fate Lies In Your Own Hands….

As we leave May behind, we can reflect on the unusually negative outlook that has been widely reported for the agricultural sector – the month starting with farmers racing to salvage their harvests and plant the crops for the year ahead, as record rainfall leading up to April completely wiped out some crops, or at best significantly reduced yield forecasts

Farmers were reported to be losing tens of thousands of £££ pounds as a result of the flooding of their land – with absolutely no support from the government. If things weren’t already desperate enough, they certainly are now…

As a result of these floods, many farmers have reached the point of no return and so food security is at greater risk than it’s ever been; the Australian trade deal continues to outstrip the prices UK farmers can compete with; while supermarkets are monopolising the market, stealing the profits and squeezing all but the biggest of farms to the point of bankruptcy.

In a way, the culmination of these misfortunes give me some hope; I’d even go as far to say they could be considered as well timed. After all, there is a general election on the horizon, and so at last the option of ‘real change’ for farmers across Ryedale and the Thirsk and Malton constituency can be achieved.

There’s no surprise that Tory leader Rishi Sunak is jumping on the back of the negative press and ‘pretending’ he is going to do something about creating a sustainable future for our local farms with a food security index. Why has he left it so long?

Let’s be honest – he and his predecessors have done their absolute best to decimate the industry over the last 40 years. When my parents started farming in the Gilling East near Helmsley 45 years ago, there were 25 small working farms in the valley. Today there are only but three. These figures speak for themselves.

The NFU support this trend reporting that 7,000 farms have dissolved nationally since 2019 – a pretty catastrophic statistic. So why is this happening… 

• Crop loss and reduced yields are currently the worst in living memory
• Most farmers receive less than 1% of the profits of the food they grow
• Tesco monopolises the food market, reporting a £2.3 billion profit last year
• While 49% of veg & fruit farmers predict they will be bust by Dec 2024
• And an almighty 95% of food in the UK is sold through just 10 retailers
• This has removed negotiation power & squeezed prices to an all time low

Reality is needed. Farmers need to face up to what is required to ensure the industry’s survival. I have worked on our family’s farm since the age of 10 years old – it is my life blood, my passion and it breaks me to watch the strong farming heritage in Ryedale being destroyed. If we do something about this now and we vote in the right leadership – we CAN turn this around.

My fear is that it will be too late by the time another general election is called. 

1. Financial Support

Firstly, we need to lobby the government to provide support to farmers who are being affected by the increasingly common flooding and extreme weather. Simultaneously we need to be looking at improving resilience, such as more effective flood management and drainage solutions; whilst also acting on the climate crisis to minimise the chances of these freak weather patterns recurring.

Secondly, farmers should be guaranteed a fair price – that being a minimum proportion of the profit their produce is being sold for by the dominant retailers. The profits supermarkets can make on British produce should capped, making ‘home-grown’ more affordable to consumers and encouraging people to buy food and drinks which originate from British sources.

3. Improve Distribution & Offer Tax Incentives

We must create strong distribution channels for farmers to directly reach the end consumer and ensure that locally produced food is both accessible and affordable to the widest market possible. We must implement tax incentives to support this. Our children must be educated on where quality food comes from, how it is produced and why it is essential to their future.

A sustainable future for farming is imperative. New and regenerative techniques have been proven to raise productivity, soil health and crop yields – working with nature, rather than against it. The research and evidence to support these claims must be more widely accessible, helping educate those taking farming forward and providing financial support to help with this transitional period.

Finally – we must question, why are the standards of foods imported to the UK not equal to those we expect of our own farmers? Tariffs must be imposed on imported produce, when it is selected by large retailers and does not meet our own government’s expectations. 

…I urge you to consider how you vote in this election. The NFU’s president – when referring to the Conservative government – has himself said that it’s easy to ‘deliver words’. I am all too aware of the emotional investment each farmer makes in keeping their livelihood afloat. It is revised policies and relentless government commitment we need.

For us to secure the survival of agriculture, it has been reported that farmers need an average 20% price rise.