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Kent farmer fears for turkey industry future

BBC Large turkey sign at gate of Woolpack Corner Farm in BiddendenBBC
Turkey farmers have seen profits cut by large increases in labour, fuel and feed costs

A Kent farmer has predicted a worrying future for the turkey industry due the cost of living crisis.

Profits have been slashed at farms across England due to the rising cost of labour, fuel and animal feed.

Tony Fleck, who runs Kent Turkeys at Woolpack Corner Farm in Biddenden, said that due to a combination of leaving the EU, the war in Ukraine and the economic downturn after Covid, he has had to keep his prices at 2022 levels.

"If this continues, there won't be many of us left," he said.

Tony Fleck from Kent Turkeys holds a prepared turkey in a box on his land at Woolpack Corner Farm in Biddenden
Tony Fleck from Kent Turkeys has had to hold prices at 2022 levels for fear of losing customers

He explained: "We've had extra cost on electricity and feed but labour is the main thing that's gone up due to so many agricultural workers returning to their home countries in the EU."

Ukraine produces a lot of the global supply of fertiliser needed to grow food for the birds, but the war with Russia has led to price hikes, with costs rising from £200 to £800 per tonne.

The squeeze on fuel prices has also affected farmers with chiller units used to store the birds now costing around £6,000 per month to run.

'Nerves of steel'

Fortunately for Mr Fleck, Kent has a good supply of foreign fruit farm workers who are available during the winter, so labour has not been as much as an issue as it has been in other parts of England.

However, Mr Fleck said one of the largest influences on his profits is the pinch being felt in consumers' pockets.

"We've had to hold our prices as I fear we would lose customers otherwise as they are reluctant to pay for inflationary increases.

"If a customer doesn't buy a turkey from me one year, I fear they may not come back the next," he said.

Kent-based John Howe, chairman of the Traditional Farm-fresh Turkey Association (TFTA), said farmers who were unable or unwilling to invest in their businesses were "falling by the wayside", adding membership had fallen from 40 to just 29 in a decade.

He said turkey farmers now need "nerves of steel", with both the financial means and business acumen to invest in their businesses.

"It's certainly not an old man's game," said Mr Howe. "I'd have stopped had it not been for my children who bring modern skills to the business."

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