Lancashire has a large farming industry - and agriculture makes up the biggest single land use in it, while its ‘large agricultural base’ has a big hand in the country’s food supply, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs . And all this means that the lush fields of Lancashire have a big hand in stocking the nation’s cupboards and supermarket shelves.
The lush, meandering road down to Roby Mill Farm shop, based at Johnson's Farm on Lafford Lane in Up Holland, West Lancashire, is as heavenly looking as you could possibly desire for a quiet, afternoon stroll. At the end of it is a gorgeous looking farm shop, with a field full of gigantesque sunflowers next to it, complete with a white piano in the middle.
“But it's not just the hot weather, it's the fallout from Ukraine. Wheat prices have pushed up, barley has gone up because there's not as much coming through from Ukraine , then the hot weather has killed the crops. All the feed for the cows, hens and poultry has gone up and there's going to be a shortage of fresh veg.
Agriculture also made up the largest single land use in Lancashire, according to Defra in 2015, which said agriculture in the region was ‘of considerable importance in terms of its role in safeguarding the environment and rural economy.
“I just planted all my oilseed rape last Wednesday and look at the weather we’ve had here for the last two days, it’s been torrential rain, so I don’t know whether it’s going to get washed away - but it’s been so dry, so this is climate change, of course, that’s causing us problems Local political party Our West Lancashire believes West Lancashire’s agricultural land should be protected as a ‘strategic national resource' saying, in a Facebook post, that this was part of their reason for opposing previous housing development plans and that many were for top farming land.
“Fertiliser last year was about £270 a tonne and for next season it’s going to be about £900, and last year we were getting £130 a tonne for the potatoes and this year we’re still only getting £150 on the contract, so they won’t cover the cost.” “I know there are worries now about the potato crops. We have cattle and we personally have enough fodder for the winter but a lot of people are going to be struggling and the cost of the extra feed, the barley or wheat or whatever you might want to feed them is so much higher and that has a knock on effect in the prices for milk and egg and beef. There’s no quick fix in agriculture, you plan for the year ahead and hope for the best.