Farmer calls for change in food pricing policy to boost incomes

Richard Findlay, who farms from Westerdale in the North York Moors, said food needed to be priced more realistically to ensure a more stable basis for farm incomes, rather than making farmers reliant on other streams of funding.

He made his remarks after the warning that the scrapping of the Single Farm Payment scheme, which provides subsidy payments to all British farmers, could mean the death of the family farm in the North York Moors National Park.

The warning was published in the North York Moors Hill Sheep Economic Study, which showed that the fortunes of the region's hill farmers were starting to improve after years of decline.

The establishment of new support systems, including those that provide financial reward for maintaining the landscapes of the uplands, were cited as the main reasons behind the improvements for hill farmers who have endured rock bottom prices for several years now, some subsisting on incomes of little over 5,000 a year.

Mr Findlay, who runs a successful sheep and cattle farm, told the Yorkshire Post that while support payments were helping provide farmers with stability and income at the moment, it was not a long-term solution.

"It is in my opinion a shame as we need that sort of support," he said. "If food was priced they way it should be it would mean we could get all of our income from food. I would much rather do this than receive support."

Food accounts for less than 10 per cent of household expenditure in 2010 compared with 30 per cent in recent decades, and Mr Findlay is of the opinion that more realistically priced food would provide a far more stable platform for UK farmers.

Along with six other farmers from the Moors, he recently set up a co-operative to supply lamb directly to supermarket chain Asda, a scheme which has proved a resounding success. He also runs a successful honey operation from his Quarry Farm.

"I farm here because I choose to. It is a National Park and is a magnificent place to work and live in. But at the end of the day I have to be able to make a living.

"With things like environmental schemes, farmers are finally being financially rewarded for what they have been doing for centuries – such as building and maintaining the walls and hedges."

In drawing its conclusions the new study looked at six upland farms located on different moors in the North York Moors National Park, over a range flock sizes.

The report used financial information for the year 2008 to 2009 to predict incomes over the next few years until 2014.

Natural England area manager Peter Welsh said he welcomed the results of the study.

"The new Uplands Entry Level Stewardship scheme will continue to support hill farming and recognises the valuable contribution farmers make to maintaining stunning landscapes like the North York Moors," he said.

Hill farming in Yorkshire has been under the microscope for some time now. Prince Charles travelled to the region two years ago to urge upland farmers to become more enterprising in order to boost incomes. He met hill farmer Philip Trevelyan who runs a successful organic milling business in Spaunton

The farm and moorland officer for the North York Moors National Park, Rachel Pickering, said that farmers could improve their fortunes further by reassessing their business plans.

"Look to see where you can be making money and ways in which you save money", she said.