'I love farming in Yorkshire - but it's not a healthy way to run a business'
Paul Temple, 63, is a third generation beef and arable farmer based at Driffield. He is also vice-chair of the Global Farming Network.
His concerns are based around the vulnerability of the food chain, staff and rural crime.
“We have gone from an unprecedented year of wet, to an unprecedented year of dry. As a farmer you have to try and make sense of that. What comes out is vulnerability of the food supply.
“As a beef farmer, I am reaping the benefit (of current high beef prices), but as a cereal farmer plagued with low prices. We have just had the worst drought and it does affect production.
“My biggest worry is water as a resource for irrigation and drainage. That highlights the importance of encouraging investment. Drainage systems make a difference as to how water is managed and available to soil.
“We have a government hellbent on paving over areas with houses and solar panels, net migration of three quarters of a million to a million. Nobody seems to be asking the question from a global perspective of where all this food comes from.”
Costs of taking on staff with minimum wage, NI and HR contributions are making farmers reluctant. Skills are not being passed on and farmers are doing even more hours.
“It puts pressure on physical and mental health and this is the future of the industry.
"We are not taking people on, we are doing the hours. I love what I do but it is not a healthy way of going about business.
“I had my GPS dome stolen from my tractor. I had worked 13 hours, I am 63 and didn’t want to climb on the cab to take it off, then it got stolen.
"I found out an organised crime gang was behind it. The police were good but there is only so much they can do.”