Princes Charles has made a 'significant' donation to a new farming charity following the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on farmers.
In a video message to tenants on his Duchy of Cornwall estate, the Prince of Wales said he had been left 'demoralised' after seeing the effects of the virus on food producers.
“This coronavirus has perhaps reminded us that society works because people do things together for the common good, whether that is key workers keeping us healthy, farmers producing our food or the supply chain meeting our needs.
“We all know that food is not made by supermarkets," he said.
New entrant farmer Sam Stables, who farms near Hereford at Kingsthorne, was singled out in the video.
The Duchy of Cornwall tenant farmer created the charity We’re Farming Minds which aims to help tackle isolation and depression in the countryside.
In the video, Princes Charles praised Mr Stables for taking on his friend's flock of sheep after he was struck down with the coronavirus.
Princes Charles said: “At a farming level, one of our energetic and selfless new entry farmer tenants in Herefordshire, Sam Stables, not only took on an entire flock of sheep from Yorkshire and lambed them for a friend stricken by the virus, but also started a charity to help with mental health issues amongst the farming community.
“As you can imagine, I am extremely proud of him”.
During the lockdown period of the Covid-19 crisis, Prince Charles said the UK owed farmers 'an enormous debt of gratitude' for producing food.
The Prince of Wales praised farmers, growers and food producers in an interview with Country Life magazine in April.
He talked about a new found appreciation for the British farming industry which had developed because of the pandemic.
