South West farmers in limbo as delivery firm collapses

Louise MacDonald relied on Farm Drop to sell to some of her customers

Farmers across the South West say they have been left in limbo over the delivery of Christmas orders after an online firm collapsed.

Last week Farm Drop which delivered food direct from farmers said last week "significant challenges" made it shut.

The company, based in Bristol, said its sector had become "increasingly competitive".

Organic chicken farmers Matt and Louise MacDonald said they had thousands of eggs but no way of selling them.

Mr MacDonald, who runs New MacDonalds Farm near Kingsdown, Wiltshire, said: "We're not a massive business who can go 'oh yeah, that's fine'.

"We can't afford to lose £1,800."

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The couple said their business was having to contend with the loss while also dealing with cancellations from hospitality companies suffering from the surge of the Omicron Covid variant.

'Really struggling'

Mrs MacDonald said: "We're really struggling. We've got a lot of eggs and we can't stop the lay.

"We haven't got a button on the chickens to press and stop them doing their things.

"They're laying every day."

The couple said they were waiting to hear from Farm Drop's administrators while they worked out what do to with thousands of surplus eggs.

Roger Saul said firms like Farm Drop were a "godsend" to small businesses like his

Roger Saul, who runs Sharpham Park estate organic farm, near Glastonbury, in Somerset, producing organic flour, said firms like Farm Drop were a "godsend" to businesses like his because they had little other way of directly reaching customers.

This side of his business had grown 10-fold during the pandemic, rising from about £25,000 last March to £250,000 today, he said.

He said: "For those of us who have had to adapt, if you like, and find a way to the market it is a vital part of it.

There are thousands of surplus eggs currently at New MacDonalds Farm

He said it was "devastating" small West Country farms had now lost their direct link to customers just as this side of the business was growing thanks to lockdown.

'Big loss'

Luke Hasell, an organic farmer in Compton Martin, Somerset, said the news was a "big loss" for local businesses.

He told BBC Radio Somerset: "They have been an amazing partner and I loved what they stood for.

"A lot of the best produce is from Somerset and the South West so they were very keen on that corridor to keep providing London with fresh produce."