Following recent discussions led by Deputy Steve Luce and involving key agricultural industry members and government officers, growers have put together a proposal to up production to meet local demand for seven crops – main-crop potatoes, onions, leeks, cauliflowers, broccoli, calabrese and cabbage.
Deputy Luce finalised the plan over the weekend and the Farmers Food Planning Group is due to meet this week.
He said: ‘Our food security is really important and looking at the autumn and winter we are expecting to see food imports being reduced due to issues in other countries.
‘What we can do is grow a range of the very basic seasonal crops that we are good at growing, but everybody is going to have to realise that there will be less choice than we have been used to for decades.’
The United Nations last week warned that worldwide fresh food shortages were likely this winter as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Farmers in the UK and Europe – where Jersey’s food imports largely come from – are experiencing labour shortages that existed before countries shut their borders. There are also fears that big-producing countries, such as Spain and Italy, may hang on to their produce to protect home food security.
Jersey’s government has been looking into food security as part of its preparations for Brexit and an established working group of professionals – including local producers – already exists.
Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham said that increased local production and continued encouragement for consumers to buy local are key in maintaining Jersey’s food supplies.
Deputy Luce, a former farmer, said the local industry was currently managing with the staff it had and new employees who had been laid off by other businesses that had shut down. However, he added, farmers were getting anxious as the peak time for the arable sector starts next month.
He said: ‘Producers are not looking to make massive profits, but if they are to increase, production has to be viable for their businesses, so we need to know what funding is available to assist them.
‘This co-operation is across the agricultural industry, with the dairy, arable, glasshouse, egg-producing and Jersey Royal sectors coming together to make use of the specialities we have got for the benefit of the Island.’
Deputy Luce added that with planting time for winter crops approaching, farmers needed government assurance quickly so they could buy seeds and work out labour their needs.
Jersey imports more than 80% of its fresh food, with the exception of milk, potatoes and shellfish.
Local producers meet 56% of egg sales, 26% of vegetable needs, 4% of the beef, lamb and pork consumption and 14% of the demand for fresh fish.
Jersey Farmers Union president Peter Le Maistre is a member of the Farmers Food Planning Group.
He said: ‘The Covid-19 problem seems to have brought the community back to appreciating what is local, even to the point that some small local shops are doing increased business. We must build on this loyalty for the future.’
