Shropshire farmers fear another 12 months of misery
Farmers in Shropshire today warned 2013 could be another tough year as they struggle to cope with unsettled weather and the rising costs of production.
They said they will continue to fight to keep farming a profitable industry – but the main problems facing farms in Britain – the weather and rising costs – are completely out of their hands.
It comes after the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) in the Midlands, which covers Shropshire, said the wet weather and diseases like Bovine TB are some of the main issues that will affect the farming industry in 2013.
And county farmers agree – but said they could not do much about it except wait and see.
John Beynon Brown has a 300-acre farm in Bagley, between Ellesmere and Baschurch. He farms arable land and potatoes among other things.
He said: "The farming industry depends on if the weather improves, we are squeezed all the time.
"The cost of fertilisers, labour and everything else is also increasing but there have been poor crops so you have to buy in more food stuffs."
Harry Gregory works with his family at Normanton Farm in Kinnersley, near Newport. He is a dairy and beef farmer with 310 acres and about 400 cows.
He said: "The weather is the big one for us at the moment. The seed is just sitting in the ground because it is so wet.
"The other thing is the threat of Bovine TB, the fact that the government didn't do the trial cull was a big blow.
"We are waiting to see what they can do for the next year – I suppose we are just holding our breath."
And Ian Platt is a dairy farmer with 350 acres and 300 cows at Ashley, near Market Drayton. He said: "The weather has already impacted severely and through to next year it is already a substandard season in terms of production."
