Fair Deal For Farmers: Investment by farmers deserves to have loyalty

Compared to some of our neighbours, farming in Shropshire is a relatively small component of the local economy.

Farming, forestry and fishing makes up just 3.1 per cent of the Shropshire economy, and only 0.5 per cent of that of Telford & Wrekin, raking in less than £200 million for two authorities which have a total annual economic output of almost £10 billion.

The economy of neighbouring Herefordshire has more than double the dependency on its farmers' output, with £286m generated meaning that agriculture is worth 7.9 per cent of the county's total economy.

But to suggest that means farmers are not an essential component of what makes the county tick is to entirely miss the point of what they do.

By working through the night to deliver lambs or calves in sheds bathed in red light, or by continuing to deliver despite the perilously poor prices paid for their milk, farmers support some of the biggest and best-known employers in the county.

Companies like ABP, which is set to increase its workforce in Shropshire to almost 1,900 when it completes work on a new £20 million extension to its Shrewsbury packing plant, or Muller, whose massive dairy puts Market Drayton on the map, would be nothing without the input of their workers.

Muller racks up sales in the UK of more than £1.4 billion a year, making it one of the biggest Shropshire-headquartered businesses out there.

In fact, many of the biggest investments in Shropshire in the last few years have been based around food manufacturing, and as such pin their achievements to what is happening in the fields.

Chickens company Faccenda in Telford has invested more than £37m extending its factory and adding a third production line, ABP has already completed a £25m overhaul of its Ellesmere abattoir, and Pickstock spent £10m moving its own abattoir from Derbyshire to Telford.

Provenance has become the byword for modern food standards, and consumers are increasingly concerned about being able to pick up food which has been grown and produced in the UK when they head into the supermarkets.

It is only with the support of those men and women who are labouring on acres of land across Shropshire, grafting day and night, investing in their small businesses, rearing their livestock, and battling against prices that leave them struggling to even make a living that the county's biggest businesses can operate.

The dairy industry in particular has been fighting a tough battle in the last two years, with milk prices at rock bottom.

In many cases that has seen long-time farmers exiting the industry, and there is no doubt that the number of dispersal sales on farms where owners or tenants have given up has been on the rise.

In turn, that has led to a reduction in the amount of milk sloshing about the market, forcing up farm-gate prices in the process.

But this whole experience has provided a lesson for all of us in the need of the farming community.

It has shown that farmers need the public on their side, that we need to be looking for fairly priced products and taking that extra second in the supermarket to look at the origins of our food.

Now more than ever consumers are looking for produce they can trust, for food they can be sure will meet the quality they demand.

From street food stalls to restaurants, from cafes to catered weddings, people want to sit down with their food and trust that it is of a high quality.

British food safety standards are exceptionally high, with stacks of regulations in place to ensure that farmers are matching up to the high expectations set by the public.

That means investment in cash, in time, and in care.

This campaign is designed to encourage members of the public to repay that investment with support for Britain's agriculture industry.

Join our campaign – and highlight how you place the produce of Shropshire and Mid Wales in the shop window.

We have launched a directory of businesses that support our region's farmers - see it at shropshirestar.com/farmers

You might be a butcher, baker, deli or even a florist. You may run a restaurant, pub or cafe. Or you may sell your wares at fairs or farmers markets.

As long as you use produce made by farmers in our region, you can be included.

The Shropshire Star will create an online directory of businesses that support our farmers.

And we will send you a Fair Deal for Farmers window sticker that you can display to your customers.

It is easy to get involved:

Send an email to us at: newsroom@shropshirestar.co.uk

Write to: Fair Deal, Shropshire Star, Ketley, Telford TF1 5HU

We need to know your name, the name of your business and its address and how you support farmers – please also name farms you support and the produce you either sell or serve up.