Your burger costs more this summer, but farmers say they're not cashing in

Your burger costs more this summer, but farmers say they're not cashing inImage source, Linsey Smith/BBCImage caption, Heather Oldfield's daughters have ambitions to be farmers in the futureByLinsey SmithEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire rural affairs correspondentPublishedJust nowFor many, the smell of charcoal and sizzling meat is the scent of summer.However, soaring costs mean a backyard barbecue may no longer be an affordable meal option.The rising cost of burgers and fast food has been labelled "burgerflation".According to data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the prices of beef, bread buns and bagged salad have risen sharply since last summer.But does this mean farmers and food producers are earning more? We spoke to some of those whose produce could find its way from the farm to your fork.The burgerHeather Oldfield, cattle farmer, Boston, LincolnshireImage caption, The farm has 200 animals, but the amount buyers are paying for beef has fallenLincolnshire is known as the breadbasket of England due to its output of crops – and it also has a rich tradition of livestock farming.Heather Oldfield, who farms cattle near Boston, says her family "want to feed people".The family has 200 animals, which will be sold to Morrison's butchery. They will make many meat products, including burgers destined for barbecues.The latest figures from the Agricultural Price Index (API), for April, show farmers like Oldfield were getting 8% less for their beef on average compared with the previous 12 months.But shoppers were paying 9% more in May compared with a year before, according to the CPI."There's a lot of uncertainty," says Oldfield.The mother-of-two says she must cover their costs to ensure the farm survives for her daughters, who want to be farmers.Oldfield says: "How do we shore the business up into a place that's right for them to come into without saddling them with a lot of debt?"A Defra spokesperson says...