Farmers provide city’s shoppers with food for thought
Mar 21 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal
FARMERS from across the North East invaded Newcastle yesterday to encourage people to eat locally-produced meat.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) organised a stall in the centre of town, where shoppers could try the best meat the region has to offer.
And the food went down a storm, with hordes queuing up to try the beef and lamb before the stall eventually ran out.
Those trying the meat were then asked to fill in postcards which will be collected from other events to be held around the country and sent to supermarket leaders to pressure them to buy more locally-sourced meat.
Tom Neill, Northumberland NFU County Chairman, was one of those encouraging people to try. He said: “It’s really important that people support locally produced food. The Taste Campaign in The Journal has been really useful for us. It’s important that people get the message and realise local produced food is best.”
Mr Neill, who runs a farm at Mindrum, just north of Wooler, added: “It’s been a difficult time for the industry recently, prices have been low, but hopefully things are going to get better.”
Dennis Gibb, 57, who farms at Eachwick, near Ponteland, said the beef and lamb produced in the North East was amongst the best in the country. He said: “Standards round here are really high and we are confident that once people try our meat they will want to buy it every time.
“From a hygiene point of view it’s good, we reduce our carbon footprint by buying meat local so it’s good for the environment.
“It is ridiculous that rain forests are being cut down to graze cattle for us to eat when Britain is capable of producing enough meat for us all. People should look out for the red tractor mark on the meat they buy so they can be sure of the quality.”
And the punters were definitely happy with what they were eating.
Stuart Cash, 27, of Kirkley Road, Shiremoor, North Tyneside, said: “It tastes superb, really fresh and succulent. It might make me think about buying British next time.”
Rachel Gillbanks, NFU North East spokesperson, explained why the day was so important and why it is vital that local farmers are supported.
She said: “We are seeing the number of animals being reared at nowhere near the levels they were at only a few years ago.
“We want supermarkets to pay more for their meat to support farmers.
“We are not asking for them to be super rich, they just deserve to receive a reasonable level of pay to give them a decent standard of living for all the effort they put in.”
