A CHARITY that carries out crucial frontline work to help farmers in need has received a cash injection from Truro Primestock.

The Farm Crisis Network (FCN) in Cornwall will benefit from more than £1,600 raised by the annual show before Christmas on Lemon Quay.

Chris Batt, from the FCN for Truro and the surrounding area, said the donation was much-needed to continue helping farmers through difficult times.

He said: "Milk prices are nowhere near as good as they should be for farmers. Feed and oil prices are going up and so everything is going up.

"Since the banking crisis it has been hard – there is some money to be made but farmers are having to produce more for less."

Mr Batt, who works as a volunteer, has been agricultural chaplain for Truro for two and a half years and sees the isolation of farmers as a real problem.

"You might have had six or seven people on a farm 25 years ago, whereas now you might have a farmer and his wife. If they are ill they often just carry on. Through the FCN and also the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rabi) we can get relief workers in to help."

Mr Batt said some of the most extreme problems he has been involved with have been on farms dealing with bovine TB.

'Nightmare'

He said: "We can offer advice or get outside bodies in and walk them through the legal minefield.

"If you have never had an outbreak of bovine TB and suddenly you get a positive result that's a nightmare for farmers."

Jim Large, auctioneer at Truro Livestock Market, said the money was raised by an auction which included a two-day stay at the Hell Bay Hotel in Bryher on the Isles of Scilly and guided tours of Blenheim Palace, Castle Hill House and Gardens in North Devon and Truro Cathedral, including the spire and treasury.

There were also 100 lots of cakes, preserves, eggs and vegetables which were all exhibits in the Primestock show. The auction was conducted by Bob Mosley and Shaun Preece, of auctioneers Lodge and Thomas.

Jonathan McCulloch, chairman of Truro Primestock, said: "My work as an animal health inspector takes me into farms where the farmers are at the end of their ability to cope.

"I realise first-hand the fantastic work that FCN does to assist those farmers that are at the end of their tether. It gives them practical, moral and spiritual support and they need all three of those to keep their head above water.

"The money has been donated by Cornish farmers and it's good to see that it will be used by them."