“Without the farming community our sport would suffer across large parts of the UK.”


Our sport relies on many people to maintain the standards we have come to enjoy in the UK, from the gamekeeper to the guns themselves. However, one of the most important contributors is the farmer.


Whilst some farmers are doing very well, others in the UK are very defi nitely in decline, especially those working with livestock and in the uplands. In the past 10 years the number of dairy herds in the UK has halved, earnings have reduced by 40% and the average


farmer’s age has increased to 58, with very few youngsters wanting to follow in their parents footsteps and join the industry. In short, there is a crisis looming


in the countryside.


Imagine the impact on our sport. The farmers are the guardians of our countryside.


They are often the ones looking after the dry stone walls, maintaining the habitat for our wildlife and keeping the foxes under control. Without the farming community our sport would suffer across large parts of the UK.


The problems don’t stop there. The impact on rural communities could be immense.


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