Jeremy Clarkson Isn't Satisfied With Inflation On Farm Animal Products

Inflation is a fierce beast, pushing up prices by over 8% in the U.S. and 10% in the U.K., according to Forbes Advisor. It can particularly impact businesses because their raw materials become more expensive and they have to pass on price rises to customers, explains McKinsey and Company. To put the figures into context, 2% would be more of an ideal inflation rate.

One industry vulnerable to rising inflation is farming. BBC News reports that prices for fuel and feed have increased by 75%, while fertilizer costs have surged by over 300%. Energy prices and labor shortages are also problematic. BBC News explains that the initial result of higher farming costs is for farmers to put up the prices of the goods they supply, but some farms are considering reducing the output of certain goods (including beef and milk) because they are becoming uneconomic.

Entering the argument to demand more help for farmers is Jeremy Clarkson, who showcases his farming life on "Clarkson's Farm" (per Express). Discussing his painstaking efforts managing pigs, The Guardian reports Clarkson's argument that consumers should be paying far more for their food in order to tackle the hardships faced by farmers.

Jeremy Clarkson's gripe is that farmers put in a lot of time and effort to produce food for customers, but receive relatively little financial reward. According to The Guardian, Clarkson explains the hardship of working late at night to construct pig pens and the intimacy of relentlessly trying to encourage pigs to mate, resulting only in shoppers complaining that pork and bacon prices are too high.

Clarkson emphasizes that food prices "should be double what they are", in spite of inflation pushing up costs for consumers. The obvious argument against this is that Clarkson is removed from the reality faced by ordinary people (he takes a cut from the $250 million paid to create motoring show "The Grand Tour", details Forbes, and Mail Online reports he is constructing a 12,000-square-foot mansion). However, his high profile and experience bring significant attention to the plight of farmers. Express notes that during the first year of running his Diddly Squat Farm Clarkson made just £144 ($175) in profit — not far off the 16% of farms that U.K. government data shows have an income of less than zero.

Despite Clarkson's calls, the government does not intend to provide direct help to farmers or consumers to address food costs. The Guardian reports the U.K. government's belief that pricing interventions are unnecessary, and quotes secretary of state Thérèse Coffey as saying: "It is not the role of government to provide free food."