The Farmers Mart Jun-Jul 2018 - Issue 57 | Page 34

34 M H POSKITT LTD JUN/JUL 2018 • farmers-mart.co.uk Brexit negotiations are carrot grower’s main concern at Kellington Chris Berry talks with Guy Poskitt. NO migrant workers equal no business. This is the mantra of leading UK carrot grower Guy Poskitt of The Firs in Kel- lington near Goole where he has built a farming and food processing empire that employs around 300 of which 250 are non-UK-born employees. It’s the message he is attempting to get across to Michael Gove and anyone related to the Brexit negotiations. ‘ I’m a great believer that the best way to predict the future is to create it. That’s why I have always been involved with the NFU ’ ‘Brexit has brought huge challenges to our business in terms of how it might affect labour availability. I’ve been quite clear in the discussions I have had with Mr Gove through the National Farmers Union that we could not run this business without our employees from Latvia, Estonia and Poland. And it’s not just our sector. The hospitality and health care sectors could be affected considerably too. It’s a massive concern.’ 72949 - Martin George - 8TH.pdf 1 18/06/2018 11:30:53 C M Y CM MY Martin George agricultural contractor Operating the most up to date equipment fitted with the latest technology. K • • • • Spraying 12 & 24mtr mounted/trailed • Ploughing Power harrowing • Combination drilling • Hedge cutting Pasture topping • Quad ATV slug pelleting & spraying Tractors up to 215hp with driver most with auto track • Labour Tel: [phone] | Mob: [phone] Email: [email protected] Holme View, 282 Dunford Road Holmfirth, HD9 2RR 01904 489 731 STEPHENSON & SON ARE PROUD TO HAVE A LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH M H POSKITT LTD A DVA N C I N G T H E B U S I N E S S O F AG R I C U LT U R E CY CMY ‘Many of our employees from Eastern Europe have been with us years, they have grown their families here and they have grown and assisted in the growth of our business. My new technical manager is from Estonia and arrived here as a cleaner. The period we are presently living through is not good for any of us as it continues to lead us further down the road of uncer- tainty. I can’t expand with any confidence while we don’t know what will happen, but I also know that it’s not good for some of my team who have teenage sons or daughters. Are they going to be allowed to live and work here once the negotiations are completed?’ ‘I’m a great believer that the best way to predict the future is to create it. That’s why I have always been involved with the NFU. I’ve been West Riding county chairman and national chairman of Horticulture & Pota- toes. We’ve to get behind and lobby the government to help them understand our industry. We can’t expect politicians to know everything about what we do but we can guide them. Every customer expects fresh produce on supermarket shelves every day. We need to make sure that continues.’ Guy’s business growth has come by em- bracing the supermarket era. It’s still a stig- ma amongst some in the farming world who believe the way food shopping has changed has been to agriculture’s detriment. Proud to be contracting for M H Poskitt Ltd www.martin-george.co.uk • Sales & Purchases • Business Succession • Farm Business Grants • Valuations • Agribusiness & Subsidies • Energy Infrastructure • Land & Estate Management • Planning & Development • Environment & Conservation Stephenson & Son, York Auction Centre, Murton, York YO19 5GF | www.stephenson.co.uk