FARMERS DEMAND MORE ACTION TO SUPPORT SMALL PRODUCERS
Local farmers are demanding more action to help them stay in business this winter as banks continue to halt lending to small businesses.
Many producers of Cornish food and drink are struggling to survive in the tough economic climate. Without support from the banks and local bodies designed to encourage direct sales some say they will not be able to continue trading in the New Year.
"The bank has taken away our overdraft facility at the very time we need it the most," explained Steve Hughes of Allet Dairy Goat Farm, near Truro.
"Taxpayers have spent billions rescuing banks, and now the bankers are already talking about bonuses - yet nothing has trickled down to small businesses. I don't understand how this can be allowed to happen. Recently I have been very tempted to take my family and immigrate to Australia - the pay is better and the government supports its farming industry, but I love Cornwall and I want my business to succeed."
Allet Dairy Goats is Cornwall's only working goat farm with a 150 strong herd of pedigree British Sannens. The farm supplies shops across Cornwall and can be found at local farmers' markets.
Terrye Teverson, Prospective MP for Truro and Falmouth, met Mr Hughes and other producers on a recent visit to farms across the constituency.
"I met with a real cross section of food producers and they've all told me the same story - it's hard and sometimes impossible to make ends meet without support from the bank," Mrs Teverson said.
"In the late 70's I was farming a smallholding near Helston. I can remember well the struggle to survive. Banks are very quick to lend the money but they're quicker to take it away again!"
Mrs Teverson also visited The Cornish Duck Company, which is the only commercial duck farm in the Duchy and already lists two Michelin starred restaurants amongst its customers.
Whilst setting up the company, Roger Olver and his partner Tanya Dalton received help and support from Business Link which meant they could buy equipment for the meat processing unit and to adapt existing facilities on their farm near Grampound Road.
"We have had invaluable support from Business Link which has meant we can take the business forward and hopefully build a future for ourselves in farming," said Mr Olver, whose family have been farming the same land for generations.
"We had to diversify to survive. We were lucky to find a product which was in demand but not available locally. With the help of various funding bodies we have been able to adapt the farm to produce free range duck. It would have been very difficult if we had had to rely on the banks - especially in the current market, but it's still tough and we have to work incredibly hard to survive."
Mrs Teverson added: "Cornwall has such a vibrant and diverse food and drink industry which deserves our support. Farmers' markets are one way to support local producers directly. You can find out what went into growing or rearing the food you eat, as well as knowing that it's come from down the road rather than half way around the world which is completely unsustainable in the long run."
The Parker Family from Callestick Farm have been producing top quality dairy ice cream for more than 20 years. Angela Parker started the business at a time when dairy farming began to decline.
"Generations of our family have been farming here near the north coast." She explained.
"When we took over the family business we really struggled to make a go of it and with a young family we had to think of another way to use the milk and make a profitable business out of it. That's when I came up with the idea of ice cream, which I made in the kitchen."
"Today we use half the milk from our herd to make ice cream and the other half we sell as liquid milk. The milk price is less than the production cost, so the ice cream has to make money - but it's tough as a small business and there have been many times when we thought we wouldn't make it."
"There is a real movement to buy local produce. Unfortunately it's impossible to compete with the large supermarkets that have the buying power to push prices down. Ultimately it means that small farmers are put out of business and our rural heritage is slowly being lost."
Mrs Teverson is calling on the banks to work with small business and provide the support they need to flourish.
"Small farm businesses are the backbone of our rural economy. They provide jobs and protect our landscape - without them we would all be worse off. More should be done to promote and grow farmers' markets and encourage people to buy local rather than visiting the supermarkets." She added.