Prince Philip backs British farmers

16 December 1999



Prince Philip backs British farmers

By FWi staff

PRINCE PHILIP has voiced his support for British farmers, saying that their fight against low returns and red tape is going largely unrecognised.

Farmers are caught up in a straightjacket of prices, supermarket buying policies and the Common Agricultural Policy, said the Duke of Edinburgh.

“Achieving success [in farming] is always more difficult than it appears. Being successful at a time of change is even more difficult,” he added.

Farming is a challenging business, acknowledged the prince, who was speaking at the presentation of Crown Estates Farmer of the Year Award.

“Most farmers want to be involved with nature conservation, but often that competes with the technology of modern farming,” he said.

The Farmer of the Year Award was won by the family farming partnership of John Hosford and his two sons George and Dougal.

They farm 785ha (1940 acres) on the Bryanston Estate, Dorset, where their main enterprise is arable with about 100ha (250 acres) of grassland.

Awards were also presented to Keith and Denise Hughes of the Gopsall Estate, Leicestershire; and James and Fiona Liddiard of the Savernake Estate, Wiltshire.