Archive Article: 2001/02/23
DIABOLICAL winter weather is threatening disaster on many arable farms. Yet too few farmers are pushing for the extra support they so desperately need, says one N Yorks grower.
Geoff Trewhitt, of Peach Tree Farm, Minskip, farms next door to Robert Tesseyman (Arable Feb 16). He, too, has potatoes still in the ground.
"I have £40,000-worth of Pentland Dell for McCain which are now worth nothing. They have been frozen, which destroys the fry colour. There is no point lifting.
"Its going to push us into a lot of extra bank borrowing," says Mr Trewhitt, who operates from a county council holding of just 45ha, with additional land rented in for potatoes and sugar beet.
He believes the plight of weather-hit producers is being overlooked. "Im not the only one. There are growers all around here with just the same situation. It should be declared a disaster area."
He is incensed that the NFU and MAFF have achieved so little. "Ive written to them all, including MPs. All we had back from Ben Gill was a letter saying the NFU had secured what we were entitled to. What good is that? It is compensation we need."
Farmers should be in line for a share of climate levy funds, he believes. "The government is collecting the tax, but is not paying it out to the people that are affected – the people suffering the impact of weather changes."
Growers need to explain how their businesses are suffering, he adds. "There seems to be an awful lot of apathy about. We need to get this message across right now before the evidence is gone."