Many of us know the joy of a cold Ribena on a hot day. But have you ever wondered where the blackcurrants come from? It may be closer than you expect.
Just outside Teynham*, for instance, is one of the 32 farms in the UK which grows blackcurrants for Ribena. I paid them a visit recently for an update on how blackcurrant growers are faring.
Times are tough for farmers, with increased wage costs (especially the National Insurance rise) and the threat of the family farms tax. Supermarkets have squeezed our local growers’ margins even further.
Watching the work that goes into growing – the generations of knowledge, the care for the land and the fruit – it’s clear just how much is at stake.
Staff from Ribena joined the visit and told me they want to invest more in UK blackcurrants. Unfortunately, the government is making that harder with the planned increase in the soft drinks sugar levy.
The original sugar tax has achieved its aim of lowering the amount of sugar in soft drinks. The drinks companies have reformulated and most of the sugar has been replaced by sweeteners. Though I don’t like the taste, I understand the argument especially for the sake of kids’ teeth.
However, the Government’s plan to push for a small further reduction in sugar will have minimal impact on the amount people consume but does mean lots of extra costs for producers. Reformulation isn’t just a matter of flicking a switch, it involves a lot of work.
This is another example of the Treasury putting short-term cash collection ahead of long-term investment in British farming.
Policies written at a desk in Westminster – like the family farms tax – are having very real impacts on British growers here in Kent. They’re hurting the families behind the food (and drinks) we all rely on.
I will continue to stand up for farmers, just as I have ever since becoming an MP, and call on the government to reverse these costs and start backing our farmers.
*You can also spot blackcurrants being grown for Ribena by local farmers on the edge of Faversham and Selling.
