‘It’s become so tough I’m looking for a second job’: Inside the farming crisis

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Inside one of the live sales rings where farmers bid for calves at Frome Livestock Auction – managing director Bradley Towell says numbers are down in recent years Defra figures show the number of farms in England with land of up to 124 acres has fallen 28 per cent between 2015 and 2023, while the number of farms with more than 495 acres has risen eight per cent in the same period. open image in gallery Frome Livestock Market attracts family farmers from across the West Country – the bigger farms often have their own deals with abattoirs “Markets are seeing significantly less livestock come here to be sold than a few years ago,” said Bradley Towell, managing director at Frome Livestock Auctioneers. open image in gallery Caroline Cunningham and John Strachan discuss the impact of the Labour budget over a sandwich inside the market’s cafe “They just think of farmers as being rich, which just isn’t always the case,” said Wiltshire farmer Caroline Cunningham. Farmer John Strachan added: “Already many family farms have been sold – this will only see more disappear as the younger generation can’t afford to pay the tax with more land used for things like solar farms.” Another farmer called Dominic, who did not want to share his full name, said: “It would appear to be a tax intended to restrict wealthy landowners, but in reality it will end up hitting family farms.