East cattle farmer worries instability is putting people off joining the industry
He tells us people may be put off by a mix of bad weather, rising costs and little to no profit
A beef farmer in the East says he's concerned people are going to stop joining the industry, as they're put off by a mix of bad weather, rising costs and little to no profit.
Jon Watt is a cattle farmer in Suffolk, and says it's a tough time for the agricultural sector: "This year in particular has just been so wet.
"The cattle that we've wanted to turn out to grass either haven't gone out or have only just gone out.
"It costs lots more money when they stay inside as you have to keep feeding them and you've only got a finite amount of food for that period of time."
John's also facing competition from cheaper imported goods - which he says can end up leaving British farmers out of pocket: "I'm really proud of producing beef to the highest standards in Britain, however we're going up against imported meat, which isn't up to the same standards but is cheaper - that's like entering a running race with your shoes tied together - you're going to lose...
"Sometime you feel a bit unfairly treated. I love looking after my animals, I love my cattle - waking up in the morning and feeding them is the best part of my day.
"All I want is a level playing field."
"I don't think there's a shortage of young people that want to be farmers"
He's worried about the future of the industry - with problems like these stopping people from becoming farmers: "It's going to be really difficult for people to join the industry or have confidence in the industry if they're not making any money.
"There are big investment decisions to be made all the time, for example, buying cows is not very cheap, and if you don't think you're going to make any money you're not going to do that...
"I don't think there's a shortage of young people that want to be farmers, I think they just need that stable and profitable environment to do it in."