Farmers in Suffolk urge public to shop local for Christmas dinner supplies
Farmers tell us they've had a difficult year
Farmers are urging people in Suffolk to shop local when buying ingredients for their Christmas dinners..
It's as many report feeling incredibly negative about the future, after a year in which the industry's faced the cost of living crisis, supply chain interruptions, labour shortages, fluctuating market demands, and plans to increase taxes.
Tom McVeigh is a farmer from Debenham and a member of theNFU. He told us farmers have everything people need for a Christmas dinner: "People can get their turkeys, they can get their eggs, they can get chicken, they can get beef...vegetables, bread, mince pies, bacon, beef, honey and fish.
"Lots of people do eat alternative meats at Christmas, and I think you should (shop local) because we really do need to support farmers now, probably more than any other point."
"The feeling among myself and my neighbours is probably the most negative that it's ever been"
Tom also explained that because of the difficulties this year that farmers have faced, many have had to diversify into other areas, including Tom's sister who has started running a "micro-bakery": "She is absolutely chock a block trying to sell mince pies and loaves of bread and things like that for everybody coming over in the Christmas period...
"I think it's a really good time of year to meet your farmer. It's really festive. A lot of my neighbours grow Christmas trees as well. There's a lot going on at farms, it's quite sweet."
He said farmers love interacting with the public and their doors are always open for anyone who wants to see what they do, buy some food, or just have a chat: "The feeling among myself and my neighbours is probably the most negative that it's ever been - at least since I've been doing this job.
"Interacting with the public actually makes us feel quite a lot better because it can be quite lonely, so just bringing some company and getting good quality food - I think it's probably enough."