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Farming | News Sales up, but labour down


LODDINGTON Farm has been growing fruit since 1882. James Smith, pictured right, is


the fifth generation of fruit grow- ers to inherit the 75 hectares, grow- ing apples, pears, cherries and apricots. The farm has traditionally supplied supermarkets, wholesale markets and local shops with fresh fruit and pasteurised juices. James said: “It’s been frustrating.


We’ve managed to keep the wheels on and muddle through, but it has been challenging. The farm admin- istrator has been working from home, I’ve furloughed another and my wife, who is not employed, has been helping out too.” With a lot of general mainte-


nance work to do each year, lock- down has made it difficult to get contractors and building supplies “We cut staff to one operator working one truck to maintain so- cial distancing, and we stopped all visitors to the farm”. The farm harvests asparagus in


April, progressing through cher- ries, apricots and apples, the main crop, requiring the most people. James employs 60 seasonal workers, mostly from overseas. This year, just 20 workers came from abroad and James used locals to fill the gaps. “I like to use locals when I can,


but it’s never that many. They are always astounded by the speed at


which the European ‘professionals’ work. There’s no such thing as an unskilled labour force, despite how government officials describe the work.” While the whole crop can be picked by as few as 36 skilled workers, James is aware this won’t happen after Brexit unless immi- gration policies are altered. He said: “It’s important to keep


the returning status in place. Using local labour is an insurance policy


at the moment, but we still need the overseas labour force to im- prove the skills of the locals.” The pandemic has had a very positive effect on Loddington Farm. There has been a huge uplift in direct sales, as well as through local farm shops. James said: “There has been an unprecedented boost in sales. We’re actually in a better place now, we only need 20% of this extra custom to remain and fruit


Couple milk a new market


BEN & HOLLY’S Little Dairy did not qualify for any lockdown loans or Covid-19 grants. Theirs was a new business that would not qualify for financial aid, but quite uniquely fore- saw the threat of Coronavirus. Ben and Holly Dyer breed award- winning dairy cattle. Shows and expos across the country are their top sales and marketing opportuni- ties, but an impending nationwide lockdown would see all county and agricultural shows cancelled. No shows, no sales, no income. So the couple rapidly rebranded


the Harrietsham business as Ben & Holly’s Little Dairy, opening just a week before lockdown. Holly said: “Covid-19 really helped


us. With milk shortages in super- markets, sales from direct sources soared. While the world was turning upside down for large commercial dairy farms, smaller outlets thrived. “We had a massive and immedi- ate boom, because we could deliver,


and we had lots of personal recom- mendations.” Ben said: “Long-term, there should


be no serious ramifications for the breeding business. We’ll just miss a year and start again, hopefully. It’s not like horse-racing where three- year-olds only have one chance of winning the Derby”.


As supermarket stocks get back to normal, this little dairy is still selling most of its milk each week. Ben said: “We produce about 100


litres per day and we’re selling al- most all of it. “Whatever’s left, Holly makes into


ice cream. And there’s a good mark up on ice cream.”


production becomes financially vi- able”.


Recent events have also enabled Loddington to exploit a more niche market. While the established retail sup-


ply chain must be maintained, James wants to take more control of the quality of his own product. He would like to move away


from the use of chemicals that help regulate the standard of crop grown for the mass market.


Online boost


proves vital FAMILY-owned partnership Eck- ley Farms grow crops in the Weald. Claire and Guy Eckley admit the operational side of arable farming has largely been unaffected by the pandemic, but sales boomed in lockdown. Claire said: “We press rapeseed


into oil, and mill wheat into flour. Marketed under our Pure Kent brand, we saw huge demand in March, April and May. “Pubs and restaurants stopped ordering, but we supply COOK, the frozen meal producers in Sit- tingbourne. They ramped up pro- duction to supply to vulnerable people.” Claire added: “We’re installing a


click and collect system for oil and flour, so people can buy online and collect from lockers at the farm. “We’ve lost all the shows where


we normally sell direct to the pub- lic, so this will, hopefully, replace that income.”


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