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VIDEO: Gamefarmers feel effects of slowing economy

Tuesday, 08 July 2008

An uncertain economic climate is forcing gamefarmers to keep costs down.

Gamefarmers are starting to feel the effects of the current economic climate, according to industry experts. "The gamefarming industry is on a knife-edge," Jim Day of the Game Farmers' Association told Shooting Times.

He explained: "The cost of a poult is up by 20-25p a bird. Initially, cost increases can be absorbed, but things are just starting to become unmanageable. It's not just us though, shoots are also feeling the pinch and gamefarmers are becoming a little concerned that the smaller shoots could pack up. There is a finite number of shoots to cater for, and I think that the market is saturated at the moment. There is a real problem with oversupply and it is increasingly difficult to obtain new customers."

Watch the video below to see how Canal Game Farm are combating rising amenity costs.

BASC's Tom Blades said the economy's impact on shooting was the hot topic at last week's Scone Game Fair.

He said evidence is building that the credit squeeze is effecting the sport: "This doesn't mean the coming season should be overshadowed by the gloomy economic outlook. The next two years may be difficult, but shooting is more popular than ever, and the sport is more than capable of weathering this economic downturn."

However, Robert Adkins of Gamekeepa Feeds disagreed. He dismissed the situation as "media scaremongering". He told ST: "Even with the huge increase in costs, gamefarming can still be profitable. Far more serious problems for the industry are overproduction of livestock and commercial shooting supplying a potentially static or even reducing market due to general recession."

To contact Canal Game Farm, call Francis Briley on 07977 931795 or Andy Metland 07743 706155