MALHAMDALE farmers Chris and Jane Hall witnessed a farming crisis African style on a Christian Aid trip to Ghana.

The couple lost all their 1,450 cattle and sheep in a contiguous cull during last year's foot and mouth crisis. Last month they saw how farmers in the developing world cope with catastrophic loss of livelihood due to equally priced, but better quality, heavily subsidised imports.

Meiri Seidu used to make her living farming rice, but imports from America destroyed her livelihood. She is now supplementing her meagre income by processing shea nut butter, with the help of a loan from Christian Aid.

Chris said: "Our situations are completely different. It was compulsory purchase for us so we got some money to go back into the business. We are diversifying into a farm shop, holiday lets and tea room, but Meiri has no back-up at all. She's lost her livelihood and has to look for other means to support her family."

Jane added: "We are fortunate to have a back-up system, although we didn't feel fortunate at the time. You realise other people face the same difficulties, but more so."

Chris and Jane drove 1,000 miles in three days, most of it on dirt tracks, to meet Meiri.

"There were welcoming committees wherever we went. We went to schools and to a church as well as seeing what Meiri did," said Jane.

The couple had a go at processing shea nuts, work which the whole village seems to be involved with, and found it was hard work. They witnessed a poverty-stricken community with no plumbing or luxuries, where women do everything and men seem to do nothing.

"It is very much hand to mouth subsistence farming," said Jane.

The couple were amazed at Meiri's physical and mental strength.

"Watching Meiri carrying the piles of crushed shea nuts on her head was an awesome sight and she carries it for four miles every day into the market," said Jane.

Chris added: "Meiri has had to adapt. She lost her livelihood through no fault of her own. She was a very good rice farmer - she even won rice farmer of the year in 1995."

Christian Aid spokesman Clare Sheehy said: "Meiri's position is now the subject of a major new international campaign. Together with other development organisations, Christian Aid is campaigning for international rules that make trade work to reduce poverty and do not undermine the ability of people like Meiri to make a living."

Chris and Jane took a Polaroid camera on their trip and at the end of their stay gave Meiri a full album of pictures as a memento.

They were also accompanied on by a film crew from Yorkshire TV.

Snippets of the visit have already been shown on Calendar, and the trip is the subject of a half hour documentary to be shown in May.

Since returning from Ghana, Chris and Jane have restocked with some sentinel animals and are looking to the future with their diversification plans.