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Mar 2020

Last Updated: 21/03/2020

District's farmers 'working around the clock' to keep supermarkets stocked

by Tamsin O'Brien

| 21 Mar, 2020

The CEO of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society says farmers are working flat out to keep us fed - one farmer tells us he hopes livestock markets can stay open.

The CEO of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society has told the Stray Ferret that farmers are working "around the clock" to keep supermarkets stocked. Nigel Pulling encouraged people to shop locally and said there's a need for more staff as foreign seasonal workers are unable to travel.

"These are times of uncertainty and worry for everyone and here at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society we want to really highlight the work that our farmers are doing to support the nation through this crisis.

Farmers are working around the clock to keep the supermarket shelves stocked and families fed, as demand rockets"

Nigel Pulling's full message to Harrogate district residents .

Kevin Wilson, his wife Daphne and his son James own and run the Hewness House farm at Blubberhouses. On his 200 acres or so of land he has 1200 breeding ewes and 60 beef cattle. Lambing season is about to start - for the Wilson's family it's a busy time of year.

Kevin told the Stray Ferret he has concerns about how coronavirus will impact the farming business. He sells his lambs and beef at the Livestock Auction Market at Skipton and is worried that coronavirus may affect its ability of to function. Produce from British farmers is the best, he said, and if foreign imports are disrupted due to the coronavirus he thought British farmers will keep the food supply chain working

"We want everyone to stay healthy. British farms produce very high quality products - it's all homegrown and locally produced . You can't get much better than that."

The Livestock Auction Market will open this Monday and a spokesperson told the Stray Ferret it would stay open. Farmers are encouraged to bring their livestock alone and leave it with the auctioneers to sell to avoid human contact.

Kevin said the recent flooding has left arable farmers worried about getting their crops in and now coronavirus has arrived. It's all very worrying but no matter what happens, he said, British farmers will carry on working to keep us all fed.