14 September 2000

Farming Community View on the Fuel Crisis

The fuel crisis is, as yet, causing me and my stock no problems. I have enough feed for 3 weeks in store. Our veterinary practice is able to get fuel, in a rural area it counts as an emergency service with the local garages, so if we have an emergency with a large animal we can get visits. Small animals can always be carried to the surgery which is only a mile away. Our next major sale is not until late October (Welsh Cob sales at Builth) and I hope that by then the government will have seen reason. If they have not then cashflow will be seriously affected as the next major breed sale is not until the spring. My sympathies are strongly with the protesters. In West Wales almost everything is transported in by road. The price of feed and bedding has escalated alarmingly as a result of rising fuel prices. If I had enough diesel to get there I would be tempted to join the picket lines... Locally there is a great deal of co-operation between farmers, studs, and other breeders as well as in the wider community. People are sharing transport as much as possible and remembering to pick up the phone before journeying to ask their neighbours if there is anything they need. We currently have several horses away on other grazing which the land owners are now caring for to save us fuel - the animals were due to come home this weekend but will be held until the crisis eases. So, at least in the short term, the fuel crisis isn't one for us. I wish those more badly affected the best of luck in their efforts to survive. Long term an easing or at least a check on rising fuel prices can only benefit the entire industry. Tina Douglass Back to Main Article