Farmer 'showing off' on social media

cows sh#t me to tears · Jun 29, 2020

Nothing wrong with having a bit of pride in your achievements, be that new gear or whatever. For most of us it's a big thing, a big decision and a significant investment. And doesnt happen that often. Those that are turning over gear like a pair of jocks, unless they are absolute flogs, would be unlikely to be worried about showing off. And if you are an absolute flog and turn over gear to have the shiny s**t all the time, then I dare say you hav ed a short career in anything....unless you are growing drugs...

Hfd Cattle · Jun 29, 2020

I would say though ....... I'm glad someone is buying new kit cos it then means I can get my second hand stuff !!
Although I did buy a new wrapper a couple of weeks ago but only cos the deal was so good up against a 10 yr old second hand one and was even better by paying on the day .

fgc325j · Jun 29, 2020

Farmer Roy said:
Maybe agriculture should be nationalised ?
Then it would be perfectly acceptable to show off what the public purse has been spent on

somehow though, people always seem to prefer to socialise their losses but privatise their profits

“there’s no money in the game”, but there seems to be plenty of money for shiny metal ?

I remember it being a well known fact 30 years ago, that 90% of a local machinery dealers sales were
on the drip. The only change these days is that it is lease deals and not HP, for the majority.

snarling bee · Jun 29, 2020

Mrs and I went to look at a 3 year old Freelander a few years ago. Salesman asked if we would be using their finance co., or like most farmers, use the same one that we use for our tractors.
I suggested that if I needed finance on a car of that value then I shouldn't be buying it. Shows that many new RR and Discoveries etc are not bought with cash.

Hfd Cattle · Jun 29, 2020

snarling bee said:
Mrs and I went to look at a 3 year old Freelander a few years ago. Salesman asked if we would be using their finance co., or like most farmers, use the same one that we use for our tractors.
I suggested that if I needed finance on a car of that value then I shouldn't be buying it. Shows that many new RR and Discoveries etc are not bought with cash.

To be fair to the dealers they will push finance cos they may well get a commission but I agree with what you are saying .

Robt · Jun 29, 2020

snarling bee said:
Mrs and I went to look at a 3 year old Freelander a few years ago. Salesman asked if we would be using their finance co., or like most farmers, use the same one that we use for our tractors.
I suggested that if I needed finance on a car of that value then I shouldn't be buying it. Shows that many new RR and Discoveries etc are not bought with cash.

Yes but if the rates to buy said RR and Disco is incredibly low then you can invest the 70k and get a better ROI then its actually better to use THEIR finance. Finance isnt a dirty word if used correctly

GeorgeK · Jun 29, 2020

I particularly like the idea of farmer protests, holding people up trying to get to work with millions of pounds worth of new tractors while pleading poverty. Really gets the public on side

.
It's all about creating the right image. The best estate agents turn up in an old but tidy Volvo, the Mercedes AMG stays at home

Guleesh · Jun 29, 2020

Sid said:
And if they over tender and can't make it pay who bails them out?

You're right that does sometimes happen, but it doesn't mean it should happen. It is a separate problem though, just because the public transport system is broken/corrupt it doesn't excuse the ag subs system being broken/corrupt.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Try and see it from a taxpayers perspective. They want better value for their money that the government spends.

You cant blame farmers for receiving payments of taxpayers money and spending it as they see fit- they didn't make the rules, but neither can you blame taxpayers when they see their money being spent on flashy new tractors and feel annoyed.

hally · Jun 29, 2020

Robt said:
Yes but if the rates to buy said RR and Disco is incredibly low then you can invest the 70k and get a better ROI then its actually better to use THEIR finance. Finance isnt a dirty word if used correctly

I’ve yet to,see a main dealer offer a low rate of finance if you include all the extras but your right.

hally · Jun 29, 2020

Guleesh said:
You're right that does sometimes happen, but it doesn't mean it should happen. It is a separate problem though, just because the public transport system is broken/corrupt it doesn't excuse the ag subs system being broken/corrupt.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Try and see it from a taxpayers perspective. They want better value for their money that the government spends.

You cant blame farmers for receiving payments of taxpayers money and spending it as they see fit- they didn't make the rules, but neither can you blame taxpayers when they see their money being spent on flashy new tractors and feel annoyed.

You shouldn’t really pander to envy but I’ve thought for a long time all social media should be the posters real name as it would do away with a lot of bullying , false rumours and lies as it could be instantly traced back to the person. It brings out the worst in people when they are not accountable.

Chasingmytail · Jun 29, 2020

My late father said never show off - it will backfire. True what with rural crime the last thing we want to do is line up kit and advertise to come and get it. Be low key and be smart.

Goweresque · Jun 29, 2020

Farmer Roy said:
Yes, but the above are all “not for profit” public services, not private profit driven businesses

Do the people working in them work for free then? And trains are run by private private businesses, as are bus services. I also see lots of pictures of the construction industry using shiny new equipment, which is all private enterprise, without them being criticised either. And before you say anything, the construction sector does a lot of work for government (roads, hospitals, schools etc) so a large % of their income is taxpayers money as well.

Farmer Roy said:
the public knows that a lot of money goes into agricultural subsidies or support or payments, rightly or wrongly.
they also hear farmers commenting on low prices, high rents / inputs, poor weather & how difficult it is.
Openly flaunting shiny expensive machinery which is worth a lot more than the average person could hope to spend, is not a good look, that’s all I’m saying

You don't live in the UK, so you won't know that public services in the UK moan far worse than farmers about how hard done by they are, and how underpaid and underfunded they are, and how 'austerity' is holding them back. Yet the police always have new cars, the fire brigade have new fire engines, the staff all get good salaries that increase over time (more than many farmers make for far less hours) and exceptional pensions too (paid for out of the public purse). And when they show off their new equipment (paid for out of public funds) no one complains they are showing off, or states that it is somehow tarnishing the image of public services to be using shiny new equipment.

So why shouldn't farmers be able to also show off their shiny equipment bought with public funds without attracting negative reactions?

Tarw Coch · Jun 29, 2020

Sid said:
Don't forget its average.
For everyone with a million borrowed their can be 3 who owe nothing.

Except practically no one will owe nothing, bank balances will either be in credit or deficit. No one knows how much farmers have on deposit and at a guess , machinery finance won’t be factored into the borrowings either.
The statistics tell us bigger all other than a trend, are farm borrowings rising , falling or static

ollie989898 · Jun 29, 2020

This shiny machinery thing is happening in other industries and the public don't bat an eyelid. They are investments being made by private business and the usual aim of it is to reduce labour requirements or increase productivity. Simple as that. Fudge the public- they don't know much about anything and they should care even less. Subsidies are a non-issue because they are going.

thesilentone · Jun 29, 2020

In general society is very strange at the moment. Lots of people have had lots of thinking time, lots of things have happened, and are still happening, we are in uncharted waters.

As we learn to live with this awful virus, our ' new ' lives are going to be different, as there appears to be no end, this is it, now today, as it happens. Restrictions will be lifted then reapplied, all the time the demise of our economy will have a far reaching knock-on effect.

Like it or not, we are returning to some state control, massive public spending to maintain jobs and generate revenue and tax receipts. The free market has been stifled, and for sometime to come we are completely in the hands of politicians.

But, it's also a great time to re-state things, and shape up for the future. Agriculture has never been great at PR, auction prices, dairy processor dictators, market prices have always determined our future, we have little hand in it.

We must also look in the mirror, things like turning up at a protest on an expensive shiney tractor is not a great way to impress on Mrs Housewife that we are poverty stricken !!

One of our achilles heels is the big margain of difference in production cost, in many cases contract rearing/growing helps deal with some of the problems, however only touches the surface.

One thing is for sure, the population will continue to grow, and everyone has to eat and drink to live. They also need energy and public services, so depite all the negatives at the moment, we should all look forward with some optimisum.

Tarw Coch · Jun 29, 2020

Farmer Roy said:
yes, exactly, and I have nothing against new machinery if it has a place. Last year I was running a $1.4million cotton stripper for a contracting team & I certainly posted plenty of pics of it at work on my FB page

I suppose the main point I was making was the one about perception, what the general public see, & being aware of the image that farming as an industry in the UK presents to the general public

as other, UK members, have also expressed at times

Image drives a lot of people, it’s a human trait and seems to be more prevelant in the modern age, plenty of people renting a substantial house at a rent that would pay a mortgage on a more modest dwelling.
Plenty driving new flash cars on monthly payments too.
It’s all personal choice it really is up to the individual.

Similar with tractors and machinery, some run new stuff bought on finance, others run older stuff bought and paid for, you pays your money, you takes your choice.

Guleesh · Jun 29, 2020

Goweresque said:
Do the people working in them work for free then? And trains are run by private private businesses, as are bus services. I also see lots of pictures of the construction industry using shiny new equipment, which is all private enterprise, without them being criticised either. And before you say anything, the construction sector does a lot of work for government (roads, hospitals, schools etc) so a large % of their income is taxpayers money as well.

You don't live in the UK, so you won't know that public services in the UK moan far worse than farmers about how hard done by they are, and how underpaid and underfunded they are, and how 'austerity' is holding them back. Yet the police always have new cars, the fire brigade have new fire engines, the staff all get good salaries that increase over time (more than many farmers make for far less hours) and exceptional pensions too (paid for out of the public purse). And when they show off their new equipment (paid for out of public funds) no one complains they are showing off, or states that it is somehow tarnishing the image of public services to be using shiny new equipment.

So why shouldn't farmers be able to also show off their shiny equipment bought with public funds without attracting negative reactions?

Farmers don't have to compete with other farms in order to win contracts to supply food. You can't compare ag subs to government or council contracts awarded to privately owned businesses to supply services or complete construction projects.

Likening ag subs to Police and Fire brigade spending is stretching it a bit?

Sid · Jun 29, 2020

Tarw Coch said:
machinery finance won’t be factored into the borrowings either.

It is

Kiwi Pete · Jun 29, 2020

Chasingmytail said:
My late father said never show off - it will backfire. True what with rural crime the last thing we want to do is line up kit and advertise to come and get it. Be low key and be smart.

That's it

Goweresque · Jun 29, 2020

Guleesh said:
Farmers don't have to compete with other farms in order to win contracts to supply food. You can't compare ag subs to government or council contracts awarded to privately owned businesses to supply services or complete construction projects.

Likening ag subs to Police and Fire brigade spending is stretching it a bit?

Farmers are competing far more than bus companies or train ones are. They have virtual monopolies and still get public subsidies.

My point is that the government spends virtually 50% of the value of the whole economy. As such there's very few businesses that can say they don't benefit from it in any way at all. A private manufacturer of ambulances might struggle to find enough business if the government didn't tax us all and spend it on healthcare. A shop in a poor area might struggle to make much money if the government didn't tax people and give the poor welfare payments. Anyone involved in defence spending is de facto state subsidised. Farmers are the stage 1 recipients of taxpayers cash, just like doctors, policemen, nurses and teachers, and a million other State employees. And all the businesses who those people spend their money with are also recipients of tax payers cash, just one stage removed.

Farmer 'showing off' on social media

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