A Flintshire farmer has said he "doesn't know where to turn or what to do" after revealing that his lamb is now selling for less than it was in 1995.

Supermarkets selling cut-price New Zealand lamb, foot and mouth outbreaks, the threat of an outbreak of blue tongue and movement restrictions have dealt a serious blow to sheep farmers in Flintshire, who have seen the price per kilo fall from 90p in 1995 to 77p today.

Speaking to the Leader, farmer Brian Colecough, 63, admitted he is not hopeful about the future of the region's farmers.

Brian, who has 60 sheep on his farm near Holywell, said: "If things don't improve I can see a lot of farmers in a serious situation. The price of fertiliser, feed and diesel has gone up too.

"I don't know where to turn or what to do. I am not hopeful at the moment to be truthful.

Brian, who has two children, has been farming since he was a boy but he thinks farmers are not as powerful now as they were and the government is turning a blind eye to their struggle.


"We have got to have support from the supermarkets and the government.

"I wonder whether they are really interested in us.

"Farmers are now a very low percentage of the electorate. Farmers in France are powerful and can put on strikes but there are not enough of us. We don't count."

Sheep farmer Alan Gardner, 44, has 1,000 sheep on his farm in Pontblyddyn.

Looking through his records, he found that one lamb was selling for £48.10 in 1997 and this year a lamb is selling for £33.96, a loss of £14.14, without taking inflation into account.

He said: "I felt pretty awful when I saw those figures. Costs have gone up since then. Prices of feed have gone up because of the rising cost of wheat.

"Any business that undergoes loses of a third is going to be under severe pressure."

"I feel generally pessimistic," added Mr Gardner.


But what do you think?

Should the government support farmers - is it right that they are given grants of public money when many other industries are struggling too?

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