'I have 12 tonnes of spuds after a cancelled order'

A Cambridgeshire farmer who was left with 12 tonnes of potatoes after a trade order was cancelled at short notice hoped to make "something good out of the bad".

Luke Abblitt, who grows potatoes, sugar beet and barley on his Daintree farm in Ramsey, had prepared 540 bags of spuds for delivery to a fish and chip shop.

However, the order was cancelled at short notice, leaving him with stock already bagged and nearing the end of its usable life.

Abblitt said: "I've already lost money on them, so I might as well make something good out of the bad and donate them around to food banks."

Fourth-generation farmer, Abblitt, said it "has not been a great year for potatoes" and that there are "numerous factors for it", including oversupply issues in Europe.

"Also, the fish and chips shops I supply to - their expenses rise - the cost of electricity, business rates, wages, it's all increased," he explained.

"So they're having to put more money on a fish and chips, therefore people are not eating as much fish and chips anymore."

Earlier this year, Abblitt started taking orders via social media and delivering the crop to customers' homes across Peterborough, Huntingdon and Fenland.

"I operate in a 10-mile radius from my farm and have hundreds of customers. I sell 25kg, 12.5kg and 5kg of Sagitta spuds," he added.

Abblitt, also known as 'Farmer Luke', said he has had a "positive response" from food banks and charities, and on Friday alone, he had donated half a tonne of spuds.

"I'm trying to donate it to the legit charity because I've had phone calls from people who want to have them for nothing off me, and then they're going to try and make some money off it," he said.

"We've got a few emails coming in from different charities, so it's just nice that I'm actually able to help a lot of people.

"It does make you feel good that you are making a difference out of it."

Abblitt grew up on a farm and has been in the trade for the last 12 years.

He said business from large orders has been slow since December, and the cancelled order was only the second one he had received in five months.

While he had "a lot of support" from the local community, he admitted pressure on the farming industry was growing.

"Agriculture generally, at the minute, it is not a brilliant industry," he said.

"People still keep thinking farmers are all rich - you never see a poor farmer - but you're definitely looking at one now.

"I'm a tenant farmer. It is a tough life to be in at the minute, and it's just getting tougher.

"And sometimes when I lie in bed at night, I think that I might be the last generation of farmer for my family."

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