'Farmers already living frugally' as price rises add further pressure
Farmers across the West Country worry rising prices could push them out of business
Last updated 3rd May 2022
The Diocese of Bath and Wells says it is increasingly supporting West Country farmers, as they struggle with rising costs.
Rob Walrond is a farmer, who supports rural communities as part of the diocese of Bath and Wells - and has been telling us about the increasing pressure some farmers are facing.
He said: "Farmers traditionally, largely in Somerset and the South West, there's a lot of smaller-scale family farms who do have quite a low standard of living.
"They literally live off the land and are quite frugal in the way they live themselves - but that doesn't mean they shouldn't receive a fair price for what they're doing."
Richard Jenkins, who's farmed the Somerset levels for almost 50 years, says fertiliser prices have almost tripled in a year and other costs continue to rise.
He warned: "Going forward I don't know how the figures are going to add up to make any money out of it, because it's not just that (fertiliser and diesel) the concentrates we feed the youngstock that's gone from £250 a tonne to £400 a tonne.
"Whether the general public will be able to afford the cost of been in the future I don't know."
For more about the diocese click here
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