By Ben Stevens
Several market traders in Leicester have reported a distinct drop in the number of customers they have received, as a result of the rising cost-of-living.
Sellers have been impacted by soaring supply chain costs, leaving them with no choice but to up the prices of their own products.
The resulting downfall in sales may have been somewhat inevitable, but it has nevertheless been impacting the livelihoods of those with stalls at the market.
Gary Johnstone, 48, fruit and veg trader at Leicester Market, said: “It has been very sad to see gradually less and less people come through the market.
“Obviously we know it is a consequence of everything else going on in the country and unfortunately many of us here are just some of the fall guys caught up in it all.
“We are all in a very tricky position trying to balance our expenses with how much we can sell for.
“At the end of the day, we are trying to keep our businesses and stalls financially afloat, whilst also trying to maintain as many customers as possible.”
Whilst everybody up and down the UK has been affected by inflation and rising bills, farmers and their markets have been particularly impacted.
A recent survey conducted by the National Farmers Union (NFU) found that 33 per cent of arable farmers plan to reduce their cropping next year as a result of inflation and 7 per cent of dairy farmers plan to leave the industry altogether.
Speaking at a parliamentary debate in July, Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton, said: “The decline in agricultural output will spell disaster for the UK if we are not careful.
“It will result in food costs rising and our dependency on imports increasing, which is something that our constituents will notice.
“All of this will happen at a time when supply chains are buckling.”
More information and ways to help the farming industry during the cost-of-living crisis can be found at: https://www.nfuonline.com/
Leave a Reply