Clear farming strategy needed says South Cotswolds farmer
Sophia Ash is warning the industry could collapse without support
A South Cotswolds farmer says a clear strategy on the future of British Agriculture is needed from the Government to keep businesses afloat.
Sophia Ash has been among members of the farming community at the National Farmers Union Conference this week, where they've been discussing how to make the sector more resilient.
Sophia, who is a Beef, Sheep and Arable farmer near Tetbury, says the industry is losing businesses at an alarming rate.
"We have too many businesses leaving the industry. Dairy farmers are leaving at a tragic rate. Our beef herd numbers are down. The sheep flock numbers are down. We will be an unsustainable business in time if our farmers keep dropping out of the industry," she warned.
She's calling on the Government to take action to protect farmers.
"We need to know where agriculture is headed, where the government wants to take it, and how heavily are they going to rely on imported foods instead of looking after their national producers, the ones who produce food to the very highest quality with the highest animal welfare standards in the world," Sophia said.
She insists that farmers "really do care" and want to know their care, attention and dedication to their business isn't going unnoticed.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is investing £345 million to support innovation, the latest technology and infrastructure to drive productivity and create conditions for more affordable food in the future.
Weather patterns causing havoc
Farmers haven't just been battling for clarity on their future, they've been fighting the extreme weather patterns of the last 12 months, with summer drought followed by incessant rain fall during the winter.
Sophia said the weather has been a disaster for her farm and fears it's not going to improve.
She told Greatest Hits Radio that she wasn't able to produce enough food or straw bedding for livestock last year. And while she can outwinter most her flock and herd, she's unlikely to have any surplus when sheep and cows are returned to grazing fields.
"I will have no forage left to sustain the stock should we have another dry summer. And if we have another dry summer, then we will not be able to produce the forage required for the winter ahead," she said. "This is going to be devastating for a lot of people if the weather does not come right."