British farmers
threatened by
harvest disaster

Disastrous harvests in America and Russia have resulted in the price of animal feed rocketing, having a particularly dire affect on the pig industry where farmers are facing 25 per cent rises in overheads.

Animal feed makes up more than half of the average pig farmer’s yearly input costs and the situation could lead to farmers responsible for as much as 10 per cent of the UK’s weekly production of pork quitting farming altogether by the year’s end.

Were this to happen experts predict it would mean that as many as 1.5 million rashers of UK bacon a week would disappear from supermarket shelves, along with 2.3 million sausages, 250,000 fewer pork pies and 30,000 fewer pork chops.

Elsewhere beef production is already down five per cent from last year and the dismal weather seen so far this year has had a dire effect on fruit and vegetable crops.

Meanwhile the harvest period for combinable crops has been severely delayed by the rain and lack of sunshine, with farmers waiting to see if their crops will be of sufficient quality to make bread.

It is pig farmers, however, that face the most acute crisis, with hundreds on a knife edge as to whether continue farming at all.

Dr Zoe Davies, general manager of industry group the National Pig Association NPA said British farmers were affected more acutely by the feed price rises due to the higher welfare standards they operate.

“I am receiving phone calls every day from farmers thinking of quitting or asking for advice on how they can hang on until the New Year. The impact however is higher on British farmers because they face higher costs due to the high-welfare systems we see on British farms.

“Another problem we have faced is that the levels of demand have been quite slack with the poor weather meaning that BBQ opportunities have not appeared.”

John Penny, the eighth generation of his family to farm, from Rodley near Leeds, told the Yorkshire Post many small and medium-sized producers will not survive at all and that consumers needed to all they could to support both British pig farmers.

The shortfall of beef is likely to be met by Ireland with experts predicting as much as 12,000 tonnes due to be imported.

Debbie Butcher, a beef market analyst, said: “Production in 2012 has been around five per cent down overall. However domestic consumption has held up well over the last 12 months, meaning that we will probably be exporting a little bit less. We have seen quite a downturn in the supply of prime beef and cow beef.”

At home the poor weather seen during the summer has caused the harvest period to be delayed. Rainfall between April and June was the highest since records began with levels of sunshine at around half of normal levels.

A recent report from the National Association of British and Irish Millers said: “July was also worse than average, meaning that crops have ripened slowly and the harvest is running 10-14 days later than normal.

“Very heavy rain in July and August coupled with relatively cool weather have delayed the UK harvest and led to worries about the likely quality of wheat once the crop is cut.”

The damp will also impact upon crops of fruit and vegetables.

Peter Richardson, of Riverford on Home Farm, said: “Crops will be shorter in supply this year, that’s the reality. Retailers need to take a fairly sensible view on the size and quality of crops and be tolerant and fair to home growers.”