Emily O’Brien • Alice – Curiouser
Farming Figures A look at… the ups and downs of UK farming… told through some key statistics
5,371
A trip down the rabbit hole…
Tractor sales Jan-May 2021, up 21.2% on 2020 (May +75%) on farmer confidence
£500/t Oilseed rape price in June, up £150/t to highest ever; feed wheat peak £180+/t
100% McCain plan for all its 150,000ha of global potato production to be regen ag by 2030
-£26/head Pig producer losses Q1 2021 due to soaring feed costs, debt and welfare legislation
+£75/t Premium on new season AN fertiliser price, due to energy costs and global demand
£999m
Slump in 2020 weather-hit crop returns, more than offsetting £490m rise in livestock
700 sites Farm-based campsites a third of all listed, but 2020 diversification returns still down £310m
260,000t New tariff-free Brazilian cane sugar imports, replacing an eighth of UK sugar production
£2.6bn UK public sector catering, for 25% of public, but 80-90% of all chicken served is imported Sources: FW, FG, AHDB, McCains, NPA, Defra, Pitchup.com, Love British Food
18 • The Farmers Club Summer/Harvest 2021
ON Friday 25th June, we were delighted to welcome members back to the Club to attend the first Club event we’ve been able to hold since reopening this year. The Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser Exhibition at the V&A has gained high praise from various news outlets, so we were thrilled to be able to take members on a trip down the rabbit hole to experience the most comprehensive Alice in Wonderland exhibition ever held. We welcomed Anne Haworth back to the Club who provided a phenomenal talk, guiding us through the exhibition, and delving deeper into the history and influence behind Lewis Carroll’s well-loved creation. After a fabulous lunch, we headed off to the exhibition where Tom Piper’s spell-binding design guided us through Alice’s influence on theatre, fashion, film, ballet, art, and more.
Fortunately, not only were we able to enjoy the exhibition itself but it was the perfect time to explore the rest of the V&A before the tourists return to London. It was such a pleasure to see members gathered together, socially distanced of course, to enjoy the first of hopefully many more Club events to come this year. Emily O’Brien Interim Club Events Manager
