Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme AND Protests

farmbrew · Feb 16, 2024

I am protesting in my own way, by not sowing over 100 ac of winter or spring cereals, honestly can't see it is worth the effort. for the return!
Potentially 300t less produced. It won't effect prices one iota on my scale but if every body did it, who knows??
Also, I would be happy to drive down the A1 slowly in a convoy.... it might just raise media awareness. Surely we have to try something before it is too late to save UK farming??
Or is it a case of every man for himself

Goweresque · Feb 16, 2024

Headless chicken said:
it was well publiced before hand, alternative routes were available and only one lane blocked. Traffic kept flowing all the way through out.

I'm sorry but if you close one lane of a heavily trafficked road on a Friday afternoon, you're going to create a traffic jam as all the traffic attempts to get from 2 lanes into one. And the organisers will have known that, if you chose that time and day, you're purposely creating a traffic jam which is going to inconvenience a lot of people you should be wanting on your side.

And publicised where exactly, for normal people, not in any way involved in farming? Ironically my friend has been a great supporter of Welsh farming, she has always used local produce in her restaurant, decades before it was the trendy thing to do. Local beef, lamb, veg, milk, local farm based producers of cheese, ice cream etc. She might not be so keen to buy local produce in future.........

Northern territory · Feb 16, 2024

I am with my farming brothers, clearly dialogue doesn’t work with these fools in office as has been the case for many years. Public support farming when it’s convenient and the argument isn’t with them but none of them want expensive food so where does it leave us. Someone on the news the other day moaning a bucket full because she had to pay £5 for a chicken. Locally produced and slaughtered meat has gone out of the window as over zealous regulation has shut down almost every small abattoir, slowly and surely the existence of many farms is under threat.

Still Farming · Feb 16, 2024

Goweresque said:
I'm sorry but if you close one lane of a heavily trafficked road on a Friday afternoon, you're going to create a traffic jam as all the traffic attempts to get from 2 lanes into one. And the organisers will have known that, if you chose that time and day, you're purposely creating a traffic jam which is going to inconvenience a lot of people you should be wanting on your side.

And publicised where exactly, for normal people, not in any way involved in farming? Ironically my friend has been a great supporter of Welsh farming, she has always used local produce in her restaurant, decades before it was the trendy thing to do. Local beef, lamb, veg, milk, local farm based producers of cheese, ice cream etc. She might not be so keen to buy local produce in future.........

Could they not gone earlier then???

DeeGee · Feb 16, 2024

farmbrew said:
I am protesting in my own way, by not sowing over 100 ac of winter or spring cereals, honestly can't see it is worth the effort. for the return!
Potentially 300t less produced. It won't effect prices one iota on my scale but if every body did it, who knows??
Also, I would be happy to drive down the A1 slowly in a convoy.... it might just raise media awareness. Surely we have to try something before it is too late to save UK farming??
Or is it a case of every man for himself

Doing the same here: only 50 acres less barley but just not worth all the hassle for about £150/ poxy tonne!

Basically growing a crop that nobody really wants and ripening the real risk of making a loss if the weather is dodgy at any time from March to September!

Been there and done it far too often, even when prices were just about good enough to make a margin. Now they are carp and I am 67 so its bye bye spring barley and good riddance!

Headless chicken · Feb 16, 2024

Goweresque said:
I'm sorry but if you close one lane of a heavily trafficked road on a Friday afternoon, you're going to create a traffic jam as all the traffic attempts to get from 2 lanes into one. And the organisers will have known that, if you chose that time and day, you're purposely creating a traffic jam which is going to inconvenience a lot of people you should be wanting on your side.

And publicised where exactly, for normal people, not in any way involved in farming? Ironically my friend has been a great supporter of Welsh farming, she has always used local produce in her restaurant, decades before it was the trendy thing to do. Local beef, lamb, veg, milk, local farm based producers of cheese, ice cream etc. She might not be so keen to buy local produce in future.........

Valid points. It was all over community groups and the local police page had shared it as they were alerted before hand. I do agree with you though that we must be careful.

Headless chicken · Feb 16, 2024

Still Farming said:
Could they not gone earlier then???

If I was party to it I would’ve done it earlier myself. Or a Monday morning because people can just have a long weekend

Clive · Feb 16, 2024

Bald Rick said:
I expect that may happen.

@Clive … this isn’t really a supermarket issue as it is seen from the Welsh farmgate. The anger is directed entirely at our ruling party. IF they don’t listen to the responses to their consultation and press ahead with their SFS as it stands, then all hell will break loose

(& yes, I am fully aware of WWF basket)

i understand that BUT ultimately if it wasn’t for the back door supermarket systematic take over / race to the bottom over the last 30 year farmers wouldn’t even need government support

big retail is where the ultimate blame sits for fundamental lack of economic viability of uk food production imo despite all the smaller picture sideshows

farmbrew · Feb 16, 2024

It is a mine field, a tight rope.... it is so easy to be critical of any attempt to raise awareness of the plight of UK farming.
Surely somebody has to try to do something.
If we all stuck together and had bigger balls like our European counterparts we might get some action.

lloyd · Feb 16, 2024

Clive said:
i understand that BUT ultimately if it wasn’t for the back door supermarket systematic take over / race to the bottom over the last 30 year farmers wouldn’t even need government support

big retail is where the ultimate blame sits for fundamental lack of economic viability of uk food production imo despite all the smaller picture sideshows

The very big farmers around here have done very nicely through lucrative growing
and packaging contracts to supermarkets.
I very much doubt you will see them on a protest.

Bald Rick · Feb 16, 2024

Clive said:
i understand that BUT ultimately if it wasn’t for the back door supermarket systematic take over / race to the bottom over the last 30 year farmers wouldn’t even need government support

big retail is where the ultimate blame sits for fundamental lack of economic viability of uk food production imo despite all the smaller picture sideshows

Are you @delilah ? Mind, he’s been saying this for years

Being rapidly accelerated by the U.K. governments dash to “Net Zero” now

delilah · Feb 16, 2024

Beth maen nhw eisiau ?

Bald Rick · Feb 16, 2024

delilah said:
Beth maen nhw eisiau ?

A night with Helena Bonham Carter

But I will settle for not giving away my data

delilah · Feb 16, 2024

Bald Rick said:
Are you @delilah ? Mind, he’s been saying this for years

Being rapidly accelerated by the U.K. governments dash to “Net Zero” now

Net Zero can be a powerful marketing tool for UK ag; less food miles saves the planet.
Instead, we are meekly allowing the food system to offload its responsibilities on to the primary producer.
That's not the fault of net zero, it's the fault of farmers.

Clive · Feb 16, 2024

Bald Rick said:
Are you @delilah ? Mind, he’s been saying this for years

Being rapidly accelerated by the U.K. governments dash to “Net Zero” now

what’s going on in Wales is shocking - if anyone wanted me to make me put 10% of my farm into trees i would be protesting so can’t blame them at all

just think they need to think carefully about targets and not inconvenience public whose support they ultimately need

Clive · Feb 16, 2024

lloyd said:
The very big farmers around here have done very nicely through lucrative growing
and packaging contracts to supermarkets.
I very much doubt you will see them on a protest.

“have” …….. you only sell your soul to the devil once !

they are owned now

Bald Rick · Feb 16, 2024

delilah said:
Net Zero can be a powerful marketing tool for UK ag; less food miles saves the planet.
Instead, we are meekly allowing the food system to offload its responsibilities on to the primary producer.
That's not the fault of net zero, it's the fault of farmers.

Driven by governmental edict. Difficult to fight when they are entrenched

Certainly not farmers fault

delilah · Feb 16, 2024

Bald Rick said:
Driven by governmental edict. Difficult to fight when they are entrenched

Certainly not farmers fault

GFC is the food chain offloading its responsibilities onto farmers.
We are meekly allowing this to happen. At best we are bellyaching about it on here, at worst we are signing up for it (Arla being 'retailer led' an obvious example).
That makes it our fault.

lloyd · Feb 16, 2024

Clive said:
“have” …….. you only sell your soul to the devil once !

they are owned now

Most of these contracts work against our interests but still
plenty of farmers sign them and moan afterwards.

lloyd · Feb 16, 2024

Clive said:
what’s going on in Wales is shocking - if anyone wanted me to make me put 10% of my farm into trees i would be protesting so can’t blame them at all

just think they need to think carefully about targets and not inconvenience public whose support they ultimately need

5% trees would probably be doable for most farmers in Wales .
The Welsh government are just pig headed and don't seem to want to compromise.

Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme AND Protests

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