SelbyPost 17 January 2013. - Global Title

Thursday, January 17th, 2013
Farmers facing
toughest winter
by Kim Law
Farmers in the Selby district are facing a
tough year after the damage recent
flooding has caused to their land and
production.
Acres of farming land across North
Yorkshire have become waterlogged on
several occasions throughout the past 12
months and farmers are worried about what
this year will bring for their businesses.
In many cases, crops have been drowned
and later frozen as a result of sub-zero
temperatures, which raised fears in the
farming industry of a knock-on effect for the
2013 harvest.
Farmers are now concerned that the
damaged crops will lead to a rise in food
prices for households, as there will be less
produce available in 2013.
Guy Poskitt, is a farmer from Kellington,
who's fields have become waterlogged more
than five times in the last year, due to recent
heavy rainfall.
Poskitts Vegetable Farmers and Growers
is a leading business in carrot production,
providing season long crops to Asda and a
range of customer outlets.
Guy explained to the Selby Post how the
recent heavy downpours are making
harvesting carrots a struggle for his business
and this could effect production for the rest of
the year.
He said: "Everything went wrong towards
the end of 2012. The weather was terrible and it
really was a disastrous few months.
"The damage to crops when they become
flooded for days is irreversible. The carrots
were rotting and simply unusable.
"Our land has been completely saturated and
we try to get machinery out there to plant but it
just sinks into the wet ground.
"We have bought a new harvester recently to
help deliver to our regular customers as the
weather held us back and made me panic we
would have to let people down, but luckily we
did not."
The wider farming community benefits from
Guy's experience as he is the current NFU
county chairman in East Yorkshire and sits on
the North East Horticulture Board, pushing for
the interests of UK growers.
Speaking in more general terms, he added:
"When I speak to NFU members, none of them
are happy at the minute and many have lost
out financially and are short of cash and crop!
"2011 was a strong year for the farming
industry, but 2012 was disastrous and everyone
will feel the affects for the remainder of this
year unless the weather decides to be dry and
cool for a very very long time."
The most recent spate of floods, which hit
Cawood and surrounding areas the worst,
have caused huge problems for one particular
farmer from Kelfield.
Chris Stones, of Stones J F and Sons, covers
200 acres of land in total and much of this is
based within Kelfield Ings - which holds flood
water every time the River Ouse bursts its
banks at Cawood.
“
If the pumping
house in the
Ings was fixed, some of
my crops could
be saved...
–
Farmer Chris Stones
SINKING FEELING: Even when the floods clear, the
effect on the land is long-term and prevents new
seeds from being planted as machinery simply sinks
into saturated ground. (17-01-35 SU)
Chris told the Selby Post how his land is
now completely saturated and he is concerned
about the effects this will have on his business
this year.
"We have only managed to get one fifth of
our crops planted this winter, as the river has
burst its banks three times in the past six
months, causing major problems for our land,"
said Chris.
"My land normally floods once every seven
years on average. But three times in six months
is simply the worst case scenario and 2012 was
definitely the wettest autumn I have ever
experienced and I have been in the industry for
over 50 years."
When the river bursts at Cawood, the nearby
Kelfield Ings stores the flood water until it
drains away.
Chris explained how the acres of his land
which are in Kelfield Ings could be saved if the
pumping house was fixed ready for autumn
this year.
He said: "My main problem is the amount of
time it takes for the water to drain. I
understand they can not prevent the river from
flooding, but if the pumping house in the Ings
was fixed (as it is currently broken), some of
my crops could be saved as they would survive
if they were not flooded for so long."
When The River Ouse burst its banks in
September 2012, Kelfield Ings held flood water
for over two weeks, which was almost two
metres deep in parts.
"We started drilling the land at the end of
September last year, but two days later the
river came over at Cawood which affected
nearly half of my land," explained Chris.
"As a result of all the flooding we only got 20
per cent of our autumn sowing done and now
our land is completely saturated, I doubt it will
even recover properly until this time next year."
The financial effects of the floods also hit a
Kelfield potato grower hard, who rents land
from Chris, as he lost out on over £23,000 when
the potatoes were drowned by the floods.
At a cost of £1,800 per acre just for planting,
it was all a waste when all 13 acres were
waterlogged and the produce was destroyed
completely.
Chris said he is hoping for drier weather in
upcoming months, so he can hopefully start
planting again.
He added: "I think 2013 will be a pretty poor
year, but everything is dependent on the
weather.
"We have no support and can not get
insurance for bad weather, as it is just nature."
In a statement released by the
National Farmers Union (NFU) on New
Year's Day, a weather-beaten black hole
was described which the extreme wet
weather has caused.
It read: “The NFU estimates the
appalling weather of 2012 has led to a
financial black hole on Britain’s farms
amounting to a staggering £1.3 billion
and as we enter 2013 many farmers are
in areas under water or facing a doublewhammy
of huge feed bills for their
livestock.
“As farmers look out over their
sodden fields this New Year’s Day they
remain generally optimistic for the
longer-term, but this will be a crucial
year when the building blocks for a
secure food supply and resilient farming
sector are put in place."
Rachael Gillbanks, spokeswoman for
the National Farmers Union North
Yorkshire region, said: "The wet winter
has affected every single sector of the farming
industry, including poultry, arable and
livestock.
"Usually it is swings and roundabouts, but
for farmers in this region to suffer from floods
three times in less than a year is unbelievable
and the effects are visible widespread across
the industry."
Vegetable farmers such as Guy and Chris,
have seen their crops rot and lost money as a
result.
Rachael said: "Supermarkets have been
selling smaller vegetables and even misshaped
ones to make the most of the harvest as the
amount available to them has dropped
significantly."
Knock-on affect
across the whole
food sector
The wet weather has also made the quality of
grain available for poultry deteriorate as it
becomes smaller, shrivelled and less
nutritional, which therefore has an affect on
their produce.
Livestock have also suffered as the quality of
grass has plummeted as a result of all the heavy
rainfall, and some farmers even had to bring
animals in much earlier than they usually
would which makes feeding costs soar through
the roof.
Rachael explained how the lack of warmth
and sunshine over recent months has battered
the cereal industry, and said: "In order for crop
to ripen to its finest form, sunshine and
warmth is needed and that has been missing
for months.
"The latest cereal harvest has been desperate,
the cold weather does nothing for cereal crops
and cereal farmers have probably been hit the
hardest alongside vegetable farmers."
Rachael explained that for the first time in
her ten years of working with the NFU, she had
even heard of some farmers not planting crops
for this year, but waiting until next year to give
their land chance to fully recover.
Others have described the most recent
potato harvest as the worst since the 1970's.
"Every sector will feel the affects of this wet
season this year and possibly into next year
unless we get better weather and a dry spell
soon, which will allow land to dry and farmers
to plant!"
Smoker fined
after ‘prostitute’
rant at railway
station worker
A 42-year-old man has had
to pay a £350 fine after
verbally abusing a Selby
Railway Station supervisor
who told him to stop
smoking on the platform.
Patrick McKenzie, who
lives in Hull, was not present
at Selby Magistrates' Court
on Thursday, January 11, and
had no defence solicitor there
on his behalf, when the
Crown Prosecution Service's
case against him was proved.
The bye-law offence of
unacceptable behaviour on
the railway happened on
Monday, September 17, last
year between about 5pm and
7pm.
Katrina Joyce, who is
employed by First Trans
Pennine Express as a
supervisor was working that
day when she saw Mr
McKenzie smoking on the
platform.
When Ms Joyce told Mr
McKenzie that he couldn't
smoke on the platform he
said: "It is out in the open
air."
She then replied: "I don't
make the rules"
Prosecuting, Sandra
White, said: "The defendant
then proceeded to use
abusive, obscene and
offensive language towards
Ms Joyce and continued to
Selby MP Nigel Adams has
been appointed
Parliamentary Private
Secretary (PPS) to the new
leader of the House of
Lords, Lord Hill of
Oareford.
The appointment
follows the resignation last
week of Lord Strathclyde,
who had been leader of the
Upper House since May
2010. Mr Adams had
worked as PPS to Lord
Strathclyde since
September 2010.
He said: "I am very
pleased to have been
appointed as PPS to the
new leader in the Lords.
"Working with Lord
Strathclyde for the last twoand-a-half
years has been a
PAGE TWENTY ONE
say 'jobsworth, you f***ing
jobsworth. I bet you're only
on £6 per hour, you could be
a prostitute for that and give
me blowjobs' he continued in
this manner for some time
making her feel
uncomfortable and
intimidated."
When Ms Joyce told him
she would call the police, Mr
McKenzie said: "Call the
f***ing police I don't care".
When the police arrived at
the station, Mr McKenzie
was getting into a silver Ford
Fiesta car, which was being
driven by a blonde woman,
who stopped the car upon
police direction.
When Mr McKenzie
attended the police
interview, he said: "Yes it was
me, I was there but I didn't
call her a jobsworth. I
remember it, I was very
angry I couldn't smoke out in
the open air. I didn't think it
was an offence. I admit I may
have sworn and used a few
choice words. I will think
about how I speak to people
in future and I apologise for
my misdemeanour."
Magistrates found the case
proved by the prosecution
and ordered Mr McKenzie to
pay a £350 fine, £40 in court
costs and a £15 victim
surcharge, within 28 days.
Delight at new
appointment
privilege and I am looking
forward to helping the new
leader in the second half of
this coalition government."
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