THE future for farming in Essex is looking bright, a north Essex farmer claims.

The good news comes as the industry celebrates 100 years of the National Farmers Union.

Guy Smith, of Wigboro Wick farm in St Osyth, said after years of hardship and struggle, the industry is finally improving for farmers.

"In the last ten to 15 years in Colchester alone, we lost half of our farmers," explained Mr Smith, who farms 500 hectares of arable land, largely milling wheat used for bread.

"It's mainly down to climbing prices - wheat is the staple farm crop and prices went down from 1980 to 2005, while the cost of things you need to grow the wheat with, such as labour, fertiliser and electricity, went up.

"There was a big decline in the return and the only way to survive was to farm more acres with the same number of men and machinery. Some farmers sold their farm houses and a few fields.

"However, things have improved remarkably in the last year-and-a-half as food prices have risen. The future is looking quite exciting."

As part of the centenary celebrations the NFU is organising a host of events in the summer to promote the industry, including a schools day on May 1 with 3,000 primary-age children and 200 farmers.

But while farmers celebrate the past, Mr Smith said there is much to look foward to.

"The rise in the world's poulation, and the richness of the world population, with resources more stretched and new challenges to meet such as climate change, will bring farmers back into demand.

"In the past we have had to make do with less staff, not be able to invest properly in new buildings and machinery but now jobs may be created in the farming sector. There's interest in locally sourced food. There are opportunities out there pointing in the right direction," he said.

Although the future looks positive, Mr Smith admitted there still challenges farmers will always have to face.

He explained: "The biggest challenge is to stay in business. Then there's the challenge to produce wholesome food at an affordable price, and looking after wildlife, which we are much better at than 20 years ago."

100 years of change

MUCH has changed in the farming industry since the NFU was formed 100 years ago.

Guy Smith, a St Osyth arable farmer and county delegate for Essex on the NFU council, has written a book - 100 Years of Challenge and Change - about the NFU and British agriculture - to be published in July.

He said the biggest change has been machinery.

"When my father was a lad our farm had 50 men and 45 horses working on it. Now we are twice the size and have three men and three tractors," said Mr Smith.

"In 1939 all cows were milked by hand. Twenty years later, 90 per cent were milked by machine. Machinery and technology has transformed farmers' lives for the better."

Farmers' attitude to preserving wildlife has also improved, said Mr Smith, and he said he wished more people would recognise that.

"I have planted 2,000 trees, several kilometres of hedges, created wildlife areas and new ponds on my land. But this kind of thing isn't acknowledged."

New chairman

ROSEMARY Padfield has become the first female chairman of the Essex branch of the NFU.

A farmer's daughter, Ms Padfield of Rolls Farm, Ongar, wants to develop links with schools so children understand where their food comes from.

Ms Padfield was a qualified teacher but started helping out on the farm after her children were born.

Ms Padfield is also a magistrate, governor at Writtle College, a parish councillor and sits on the council of Essex Agricultural Society.

Farming still big business

THE number of farms in Essex may be half of that 15 years ago, but farming is still big business in the county.

10,000 people work full and part-time on farms in Essex - 50,000 in East Anglia altogether
125 hectares are given over the cereals - East Anglia grows more than one quarter of England's total wheat and barley
500 farms are used for horticulture, for growing fruit, vegetables, flowers and salad crops
On Essex's livestock farms there are 64,000 pigs, 36,000 cattle and 60,000 sheep
In East Anglia, farming is part of a £3 billion food and food processing industry

Farming facts

The NFU was formed on December 10, 1908
Essex joined in 1914
In 1929, John Garton became the first NFU president from Essex. It was also the year National Mark Year the country of origin was labelled on the food, along with the quality


Farmland values rise
FAMLAND values rose by more than 28 per cent last year.

In its Agricultural Land Market Survey, Savills said values for prime arable land in the east of England rose the most, with the average cost £4,500 per acre.

Some land sold for more than £7,000 per acre for large commercial blocks of farmland, the survey said.

Jessica Simpson, Savills farms sales said: "The appetite for farmland this year has already pushed prime arable values beyond last year's highs and we are confident in forecasting growth of at least 25 per cent by the year end."

In 2007, more than half of all farms more than 50 acres were bought by farmers, with most wanting to expand their farming business. Nono-farmers who bought farms for lifestyle reasons rather than income generation represented 36 per cent of all farm buyers last year.