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| Nottinghamshire strawberry grower stops production due to cash crisis | |
| (1 day later) | |
| Suzanna Starkey said the decision to stop growing soft fruit was "emotional" | |
| A family farm that has been producing soft fruits for 75 years has said rising costs have forced it to stop growing berries. | A family farm that has been producing soft fruits for 75 years has said rising costs have forced it to stop growing berries. |
| Starkey's Fruit, near Southwell, in Nottinghamshire, said it has recently lost traditional sources of seasonal workers. | Starkey's Fruit, near Southwell, in Nottinghamshire, said it has recently lost traditional sources of seasonal workers. |
| Suzanna Starkey said wages had gone up and, along with low prices from buyers, this made the business unsustainable. | Suzanna Starkey said wages had gone up and, along with low prices from buyers, this made the business unsustainable. |
| The farm will remain open and produce other fruit, such as Bramley apples. | The farm will remain open and produce other fruit, such as Bramley apples. |
| Soft fruit like strawberries have to be picked by hand and require large amounts of labour | Soft fruit like strawberries have to be picked by hand and require large amounts of labour |
| For decades, Starkey's Fruit has grown blackberries, raspberries and strawberries for supermarkets, farm shops and wholesalers. | For decades, Starkey's Fruit has grown blackberries, raspberries and strawberries for supermarkets, farm shops and wholesalers. |
| In recent years it was growing about 800 tonnes of soft fruit in polytunnels. | In recent years it was growing about 800 tonnes of soft fruit in polytunnels. |
| But Ms Starkey, sales director for the farm, said the business has been "squashed at both ends", with rising wages for pickers meeting inadequate prices from buyers. | But Ms Starkey, sales director for the farm, said the business has been "squashed at both ends", with rising wages for pickers meeting inadequate prices from buyers. |
| She said traditionally they would use up to 140 pickers, mostly from the EU. | She said traditionally they would use up to 140 pickers, mostly from the EU. |
| The farm said it faced unsustainable labour costs in November at the end of the season | The farm said it faced unsustainable labour costs in November at the end of the season |
| "Many of them had come to us for years, they knew it was a good place to work," Ms Starkey said. | "Many of them had come to us for years, they knew it was a good place to work," Ms Starkey said. |
| "But with Brexit it became more difficult and they just did not feel welcome." | "But with Brexit it became more difficult and they just did not feel welcome." |
| The farm then used agency workers from further afield but the costs had soared. | The farm then used agency workers from further afield but the costs had soared. |
| The tunnels have been cleared with much of the equipment being sold to growers abroad | The tunnels have been cleared with much of the equipment being sold to growers abroad |
| "The prices are set by marketing groups, we have no say in that - and it was clear the situation was only going to get worse. | "The prices are set by marketing groups, we have no say in that - and it was clear the situation was only going to get worse. |
| "So we have sold our growing frames abroad, so perhaps in Romania or somewhere they are growing strawberries for our supermarkets with our frames, which is ironic," Ms Starkey added. | "So we have sold our growing frames abroad, so perhaps in Romania or somewhere they are growing strawberries for our supermarkets with our frames, which is ironic," Ms Starkey added. |
| She said the decision to stop growing soft fruits has been "emotional", with the fields that would normally be laden with fruit at this time of year being left empty. | She said the decision to stop growing soft fruits has been "emotional", with the fields that would normally be laden with fruit at this time of year being left empty. |
| "It's been with a heavy heart that we've had to make the decision to cease production of the berries," she said. | "It's been with a heavy heart that we've had to make the decision to cease production of the berries," she said. |
| "We would be sending them out by now, and instead we've got bare fields." | "We would be sending them out by now, and instead we've got bare fields." |
| Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| UK farming | UK farming |
| Economic effects of Brexit | Economic effects of Brexit |
| Southwell | Southwell |
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