This is the reality of these negligent policies. They won’t harm our population much.
Where’s UK food production headed?
- Thread starter Martin Holden
- Start date
Christ Alive, wtf do those 12 DO all day?
Fine words and no real argument. Trouble is, we have had no influence on the whims of our politicians and clueless bureaucrats for decades. We’re like butterflies caught in a hurricane.
In spite of this it used to be possible for many to make a living whilst retaining decent mental health. Things have gone downhill rapidly though, especially the second aspect. As far as profitability goes, what will be will be. Farming is being attacked from all angles over here by people with no clue, but some other countries are having a similar fight. I’ll just be glad to get through the next few years with my mental health intact. Moving to Aus gets more attractive every day. My wife would sign us up tomorrow.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Definitely, just like everything the government touch ! Turns to sh!t , they have ruined agriculture with their blooy subsidy’s, never should have been accepted by farmers in the first place .
matthew
Member
- Location
- Cornwall, SW England
It will if things get tight enough globally, that the UK shelves are empty. We had a taste of that this spring and it wasn't pretty.
This government and its opposition think that we can import anything, at a cheaper cost than home produced, which is still used as 'window dressing;.
Long term, they can't, and they won't. Which leaves this country extremely vulnerable, both on basic food supplies and energy.
If we are paid properly for our risk we will grow food.. if we are not paid properly and fairly we won't... sadly that decision is not in the gift of mere farmers anymore
I will stop polluting when China stops polluting..
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Not going to happen in our life time
I have no issues with taking in those genuinely in danger, the vast majority aren't, and as has been said an awful lot are currently from Albania, is there
a war going on there ?
If they want to come here there are legal ways of doing so just as there are ways for us to move to any country.
I will ignore your assumptions about me and what I do or don't read or listen too and what I do to help those less fortunate than myself.
How many people do YOU think we should allow into the UK 1, 1000, 1,000,000 100,000,000 or everyone that wants to come here
That's true of course but it comes over as a bit arrogant and selfish when you say you aren't concerned about others who are less fortunate.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
New report says rent takes 28 percent of folks pre tax income...but food prices cause inflation.
Stop growing food and find alternatives. The UK population are clever and rich they don't need us.
Stop growing food and find alternatives. The UK population are clever and rich they don't need us.
Being clever and rich is not the same as honourable and generous to other people.
Being generous with other people's wealth that has been taken by statute is despicable.
Being clever must have an action to it that visualises effect.
Using riches to extract wealth from others who are not economically free is not a win-win. Someone loses.
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imports are cheap
uk food is expensive
we operate under cost levels imports don’t have to
the vast majority of consumers really don’t care where their food is grown so uk farmers either grow niche products like organic, high welfare or wildfarmed for the few that do care or start providing environmental services instead ……… don’t try to compete with global commodity producers when you simply cannot
Yes, IMO the British Pound has stood up well.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Clive you have a friendly relationship with Janet Hughes. I assume she may read some of your posts on here. Or / and you have possibly in pleasant conversation expressed your views to her. Maybe particular about your current ponderings about mothballing a proportion of your productive land into AB6. What does she say in reply?
UK food is not expensive compared to most comparable countries, yes we have costs that some others don't have but a friend from NZ was telling me some of the rules they have to deal with too, what makes it hard for UK farming to compete is overhead costs IE land and that is the same for every business whether it's shops or manufacturers, we are a small rich country with lots of people chasing land either for farming or development, add in government/ public sector overheads like rates etc and everything we buy is expensive.
It wasn't long ago that several posters on here we saying land would be £20,000 an acre and saying farmers should leverage their assets to get bigger, how it has changed, the grain we produce is a by product to the straw and has been for many years, occasionally like last year the corn makes good money but the price has slumped, the straw we sell will be going up again this year as will the hay etc we sell, perhaps others like you are beginning to realise that food production isn't appreciated at the moment and will stop, the trouble is I fear there are many who will take up the slack, too many of us are busy idiots ( meant in a nice way) . Only when the shops are empty will things change and that might be by legislative force rather than price improvement
Out of interest. What is your government's policy on food production and the environment? How much do they interfere with what you would like to do via legislation? Do they have any environmental incentives?
As for producing food at lowest price, hence profitability. You have a second job alongside your farming. Is this because the farm doesn't produce sufficient profit to live on? I really appreciate you suffered severe drought for a few years, did the government help you through that period, or did they not value their farmers either?
She isn't the policy marker so the direction of travel is not here remit - her role is to lead a team that designs and implement the mechanisms that deliver that policy
It's politicians that have seemingly decided we are best to import the majority of our food and us our countryside for environmental purpose more
When I have told Janet that a big % of what we farm will go out of food production she seems happy that what they have designed is clearly attractive enough for me to do that. I guess from her point of view it represents success every-time a farmer adds a SFi or CSS option to their farm
It's not expensive BECAUSE imports competition keeps a lid on those prices - we all know that to be sustainably viable without subsidies that UK food prices would have to be MUCH higher
then you know my answer!!