The organiser of farmer protests which saw up to 40 tractors descend on the Port of Dover has said further action “cannot be ruled out.”
Jeffrey Gibson, of Yew Tree Farm in Wingham told the BBC that the situation could “very easily escalate” and that Brexit had created an “utterly soul-destroying” situation.
Saying that recent farmer protests across Europe had shown what could be achieved, he continued, “It seems harder to export goods out of the UK but importing goods in does not seem to have changed. What is making foreign food cheaper is lower levels of production costs and sustainability.
“UK farmers are good at talking in the pubs and keeping quiet and complaining about how bad things are but we don’t take action like European farmers. It has now got to a point where voices need to be heard.”
His brother Andrew added, “We’ve had support from all round the country. There will be other groups like us and they will make their presence felt – around the docks, around supermarket distribution centres.”
However, while many farmers and growers agree with the sentiments of the protestors, social media shows that many do not feel that protesting or blockading is the answer. National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president Minette Batters told the Guardian that public support for farmers was “invaluable.” “We do not take this support or its influence for granted, and it’s why protests should always be a last resort,” she added.
A Defra spokesperson said, ‘We’ve maintained the £2.4bn annual farming budget, which supports farmers to produce food profitably and sustainably, while protecting nature and helping to meet our net zero ambitions. Our new schemes offer something for every type of farm, and a crucial part of their development has been to listen to farmers’ feedback.
‘We are also looking at ways to further improve fairness in the supply chain and support British farmers and growers, as well as ensuring customers have access to high-quality fresh British products.’