Gloucestershire farmer warns of industry threat as fewer young people eating meat

A West Country farmer has said that a rise in people ditching meat is causing trade to suffer.

Jamie Alcock, a meat farmer from Gloucestershire has lost a number of customers in recent years and suggests a rise in the number of people adopting vegetarian and vegan diets is partly responsible.

He told ITV West Country: "We've lost a lot of regular customers mainly due to children being led to believe that if they stopped eating meat they're helping the planet.

"Parents won't buy a half box of lamb or pork or whatever just for the adults."

He added that fewer young people are interested in becoming farmers now.

"It's long hard hours, it's difficult to make money.

"It's difficult to see why young people would want to be involved unless they come from a farming background or it's in their blood. It's a lifestyle choice."

Parliament has recently launched its own inquiry into the UK's food security in the wake of supermarket shortages earlier this year.

Experts have warned that the UK's food supply chain is fragile and that the country may struggle to source the food it needs in future due to climate change and farming pressures.

Jake Gregory, a young Cornish beef farmer added that further down the West Country, interest in farming is low.

He said: "At the minute the future is very uncertain in the meat trade.

"Just the shortage of farmers, a lot of farmers are giving up because of the workload and the expense of it all is increasing.

"It's not just a job you have to do it as a life."