Farmers hit by fertiliser price rise of 140%

Karen Leach, of Hoskyn's Handmade Pies, based in East Bergholt, Suffolk, has seen her energy bills go up by 30-35%

Action is needed to help farmers and food producers facing huge increases in costs, according to businesses.

Essex farmer Tom Bradshaw told BBC Politics East his fertiliser costs were set to rise from £15,000 to £36,000 - a 140% increase.

The National Farmer's Union (NFU) is calling on the government to look at ways to help farmers.

The government said support was already in place for growers, and a working group was looking at fertilisers.

Fuel has also led to rises in costs of produce as well as fertiliser.

Mr Bradshaw, who is National Farmer's Union (NFU) deputy president, said: "Our fertiliser tanks last year would have cost us £15,000 to fill. Next year they are costing £36,000 - a huge increase."

"It's the poultry farmers and the pig farmers who now have massively increased costs and they desperately need a more sustainable price.

"Otherwise they won't be able to afford to produce the eggs and the chickens and the pigs for next year," he said.

Tom Bradshaw, NFU deputy president, farms in north-east Essex

He added: "We have had the third cheapest food in the world here in the UK as a percentage of income, and I think we have taken that for granted. You pay £3 for a coffee and you pay £3.50 for a whole chicken.

"Is that really in proportion?"

Farmers have told the BBC that one way the government could help them is capping gas prices for business users.

At present only domestic users have the price of gas capped.

The cost of fertiliser for wheat or barley fields has increased by at least 140% in recent years

Karen Leach, of Hoskyn's Handmade Pies, based in East Bergholt, Suffolk, said: "The cost of everything has gone up, even salt.

"I would say salt has gone up by 100% and meat has increased by about 20%.

"Our energy bills have gone up probably by 30-35% in the last six to nine months. It's really been crippling.

"We have tried to keep the costs down as long as we could, but we have had to increase the costs slightly - it's a struggle."

Colchester-based Essex Bakery makes 4,000 brownies a week, and co-owner Gary Essex said costs were rising.

"Because of the price of the feed, the price of eggs has gone up," he said.

"We buy British butter which has gone from just under a £1 per 250g to £1.80/£1.85.

"Chocolate is obviously imported so energy prices makes transportation costs more expensive."

The Colchester-based Essex Bakery produces 4,000 brownies a week

A government spokesman said: "We have already announced a number of measures to support growers with rising input costs, including bringing forward half of the BPS [Basic Payment Scheme - rural grants paid to the farming community] payment to July.

"We have established the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group to monitor all key agricultural commodity markets, as well as a specific ministerial-led fertiliser working group who will monitor the issue closely.

"We have also increased our engagement with industry to supplement our analysis with real time intelligence."

Politics East airs on BBC One in the East on Sunday 12 June at 10:00 GMT and can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer afterwards.