A British farmer has warned that the Government is taking the work of his industry "for granted" as one of the worst harvests on record looms.
Over the next few weeks, farmers around the UK will start harvesting potatoes ready for the festive season.
They’re lifted from the fields by various types of machinery and then taken to stores, ahead of the December rush.
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However, in what’s already been a difficult year for farmers with the new changes to inheritance tax and the potential for new foreign import deals, they’re also facing a blow when it comes to profits.
In Cheshire, at Aston Grange Farm, co-owner Andy Shaw says this has been a very bad year for many crops due to the dry weather.
He explained that, when it comes to potatoes, it typically costs between £2,500 to £3,000 to plant per acre.
But when it comes to selling, farmers tend to only make between £2,000 and £2,500.
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Andy Shaw believes the Government is taking farmers for granted
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That means, in the best-case scenario, they would break even. But often, he said, "we’re probably losing around £500 per acre, and we just have to take that".
When it comes to decisions made by the Government this year, Andy says he feels the farming industry is "being taken for granted".
He said: "Because we’ve been so good at our job of producing lots of food all the time, that it’s like 'well, it doesn’t really matter what happens to it'.
"But if we turn the tap off on food production, within a month, this country would be in crisis, because they wouldn’t be able to import enough.
Shaw explained farmers are losing around £500 per acre of planted potatoes
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"So, they need to start paying attention to what we’re telling them - not fighting against us; they need to get round the table."
The Institute of Grocery Distribution is predicting that food inflation could peak at 5.1 per cent by the end of the year, which could mean families see a spike in the cost of their Christmas dinner.
Last year, research from Kantar estimated the average household spent around £32.57 on their Christmas roast alone.
If food inflation were to rise as predicted, it could add an additional £1.66 to that one meal alone.
This may not seem like much, but if you consider December as a whole - a month in which families spend an average of £267.70 on food and drink, this could add almost an extra £14 to the shopping bill.