- Location
- somerset
read first 5 pages, and jumped. What have subsidies actually done for us ? Parents put up a lot of buildings etc in 70's
and I have farmed through a lot of various systems of grants, and been very happy to have them. but what have they actually achieved, they are only a means for cheaper food for the public, and l/lords, s/mkts have all succeded in having the lions share of them anyway, and now they are a 'life giving' injection of funds. Looking at it from a different way, subsidies have been used by farmers, with encouragement, to invest, and progress, on the back of them, we have altered our farm systems, to 'max' sub payments, used grants to modernise, and a lot have borrowed to do so. And, of course, in the public eye, we are feather bedded farmers, and, in fairness, we have sort of been, our sfp, pays a large part of the rent, great, and if we had just bumbled along, not taking grants etc, we probably would be in a very nice position now. But, with many other farmers, our instinct is to 'move forward' increase production etc.
So, broadly speaking, that's subs/grants, albeit in a very broad way, if you go back to the first part of the post, the subs/grants, have been taken by l/lords, s/mkts etc, proved by reading the first 5 pages, to be the general point of view. So, to repeat myself, what have subs done for us ? encouraged us to invest (borrow) increase production (borrow) to what end ? prices are not a lot different to 20 yrs ago, so, in the end, we have modernised, on the back of subs, that someone else has nobbled !
The future is unknown, the only known fact is, subs will go, and we have been given notice of 2 or 3 years for that, so we must prepare for that. It looks like environmental payments will replace this system, so here, we will follow that line, very, very hopefully, the new system may stop the 'got to increase' attitude, and if our production decreases, and no one can nobble the payments, prices may increase, at the very least, it may stop the, running faster, to stay in the same place, syndrome, that is now, the average farmers lot.
and I have farmed through a lot of various systems of grants, and been very happy to have them. but what have they actually achieved, they are only a means for cheaper food for the public, and l/lords, s/mkts have all succeded in having the lions share of them anyway, and now they are a 'life giving' injection of funds. Looking at it from a different way, subsidies have been used by farmers, with encouragement, to invest, and progress, on the back of them, we have altered our farm systems, to 'max' sub payments, used grants to modernise, and a lot have borrowed to do so. And, of course, in the public eye, we are feather bedded farmers, and, in fairness, we have sort of been, our sfp, pays a large part of the rent, great, and if we had just bumbled along, not taking grants etc, we probably would be in a very nice position now. But, with many other farmers, our instinct is to 'move forward' increase production etc.
So, broadly speaking, that's subs/grants, albeit in a very broad way, if you go back to the first part of the post, the subs/grants, have been taken by l/lords, s/mkts etc, proved by reading the first 5 pages, to be the general point of view. So, to repeat myself, what have subs done for us ? encouraged us to invest (borrow) increase production (borrow) to what end ? prices are not a lot different to 20 yrs ago, so, in the end, we have modernised, on the back of subs, that someone else has nobbled !
The future is unknown, the only known fact is, subs will go, and we have been given notice of 2 or 3 years for that, so we must prepare for that. It looks like environmental payments will replace this system, so here, we will follow that line, very, very hopefully, the new system may stop the 'got to increase' attitude, and if our production decreases, and no one can nobble the payments, prices may increase, at the very least, it may stop the, running faster, to stay in the same place, syndrome, that is now, the average farmers lot.
