live_tv
Livestream Starting Soon
00
Hours
:
00
Minutes
:
00
Seconds
Up next in 10
A farmer described a busy Christmas morning that began before dawn feeding livestock, with festive traditions fitted in around the demands of the farm.While there is some renewed optimism following a partial Government U-turn on inheritance tax, he warned the damage to farming families has already been severe.He spoke of mounting pressures across the sector, from falling milk and beef prices to mental health struggles and growing fears over the future of family farms.The farmer urged greater Government understanding and support, warning that food security and the survival of British farming are now at a critical point.WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE FOR MORE
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Yeah, it's been a busy morning already, been out, you know, feeding the cows and checking on the sheep
0:06
I was out about half past five this morning, slipped the turkey in last night, then I had about half past ten
0:14
Turned it over this morning. So team effort, she does all the cooking and I did all the feeding
0:21
And then, yeah, we finished our Christmas dinner about half past one
0:28
so yeah we're having a little drink now. I've got a couple of jobs to do before nightfall as well
0:37
It never stops does it Gareth? You're always farming and I think that's the thing isn't it
0:41
It's a job that never ends. You've always got to be on the ball, you've always got to be feeding people across the country
0:48
Now has there been any improvement in the filming of your fellow farmers
0:52
of yourself since the government did this small sort of U-turn on inheritance tax
0:57
Well, there's a bit more positivity, we have to be honest. You know, we have to congratulate them for what they've done
1:02
but it shouldn't have started anyway. You know, they shouldn't have brought it into the whole contents
1:09
of what he'd promised in the NFU conference, you know, to protect family farms
1:15
They didn't do their maths. It was absolutely horrible what they've done to farmers
1:21
and farming families. You know people have spent a fortune looking at ways where they can protect You know they gone to find advisors they looked for advice they spent time they had sleepless nights
1:35
And, you know, these champagne socialists in London haven't got an idea
1:41
Like I've told you before, my father's 89, he's had dinner with him
1:45
and my mother being up here today. And it's worried him, it's worried him to death
1:50
and it's scary you know there's people that have taken their own lives
1:54
and mental health is at an all time low we've got milk prices crashing
1:58
they're talking about beef prices crashing you know the cereal boys have had a very very bad year
2:03
it hasn't been good so you know what we need is a ship that's been steered by a captain
2:10
who understands that everybody needs to be fed and he has bit the hand that
2:15
feeds him and you know I've been in London on many occasions
2:19
with many other farmers, and we've got to congratulate every single one person that has been out there campaigning
2:28
to have this change. But I still don't think it's enough. I still think there's a lot more room to go
2:34
and a lot more, you know, change that we can do, as in not just on the inheritance tax, but on TB, SFS
2:43
so the Sustainable Farming Scheme in Wales. we've got NBZs which are night rates
2:48
vulnerable zones there so much pressure on the farming community and it tells you know it puts pressure on family life puts pressure on my wife puts pressure on our children and it puts pressure on producing food
3:03
because that's what we're good at. I don't want to be in London, I'll be honest with you
3:07
I want to be at home, watching after my animals, tending to the flock, and making sure everybody's fed
3:12
And that's what this government haven't understood. Gareth, if I may interrupt you, just to ask you this question, because it's been playing on my mind
3:21
You're the first farmer I've spoken to in a while to talk about this. We've seen protests across Europe
3:26
We've actually seen them dumping manure outside President Macron in France and in Brussels
3:32
Can you foresee farmers getting to that point here in Britain? Well, you never know
3:38
And maybe what Mr. Steinman and the Labour government have seen in Europe happening and in Brussels
3:43
you know massive massive protesting brussels they have absolutely been sold down the swanee
3:50
by the eu and and i think you know we feel terrible for them farmers there is a global agenda
3:56
to take away our ability to produce food as family farms and that's scary we don't want the bill gates
4:06
and the black rocks taking our land because it'll take the power away from the people you know you
4:11
You control the food, you control the people. And that is so important for this government to understand
4:17
that food security should be at the top at the top of their list to feed people in this country affordably seasonally sustainably healthily and all these things could build a better britain on our bellies and it would start
4:32
with the farmers so you know if we had a little bit more backing from government a little bit more
4:39
chats with them so they can understand the farming problems and we could you know we could drive this
4:46
country to be you know as it was many many years ago as a fantastic country that was lucrative
4:53
and producing food and other manufacturing goods because at this moment i think we're at rock
4:59
bottom and especially farming industry i'll tell you i speak to people in the last three days
5:06
we're talking about millions of liters of milk going to be poured down the drain they're going
5:12
to be paid for it but it's going to be poured down the drain while we've got people on the
5:16
streets and people going hungry in food banks there's something wrong in society you know we
5:21
need to change we need a farming food revolution and we need people to understand the importance of
5:27
what we do in the countryside because this government this government has honestly began
5:32
a war on the countryside and taken us through hell people have lost their lives people have been in
5:41
very, very low mental states because of what this government has done to us. And
5:47
the previous government. We haven't had the backing for a long time
#news
#Politics
#Social Issues & Advocacy
#Public Policy