The Governments assault on livestock farming.

Ffermer Bach

Member
Livestock Farmer
I think I have to agree, albeit reluctantly. Not all universities are so tainted, but the Russell Group universities vetted by one of the youngsters in my orbit who's clever enough to have had their pick of them, were turned down because of the gut instinct felt on interaction with a cross section of of their students. The origins of these students didn't matter. It was the collective mindsets.
I went with my son to visit Cambridge Uni, we were talking to the Physics Admissions Tutor, and I asked her, if they counted the Welsh Baccalaureate towards the exam grades needed, she said no, it counted for nothing with them. So I said "so basically it's worth Jack sh!t then". She almost jumped back and recoiled in horror. It was so funny actually to see the look on her face. I don't think she had ever heard anyone say anything like that before!
 

Ysgythan

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Ammanford
This is why we have conspiracy theories - so the real conspiracies can get momentum

It's political suicide to confiscate land (these days) so the easiest way to drive farmers off the land is to drive them slowly out business, in the name of social justice and environmentalism and God knows what else

I don't even enter into the argument anymore, the truth is really wasted on many people.

Work on your circle of control, that is to say work on your own business and let everyone else tear into each other - society is in turmoil - rise above it
Jesus! I come on here for some light relief…😆
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
I went with my son to visit Cambridge Uni, we were talking to the Physics Admissions Tutor, and I asked her, if they counted the Welsh Baccalaureate towards the exam grades needed, she said no, it counted for nothing with them. So I said "so basically it's worth Jack sh!t then". She almost jumped back and recoiled in horror. It was so funny actually to see the look on her face. I don't think she had ever heard anyone say anything like that before!

Think I'd be surprised at the term in a formal situation, but can see the humour in the scene 😁

Why the snobbery over the Welsh Bac', do you think?
 

Jackov Altraids

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
I’m a bit more positive about things. Since the latest climate report there seems to be a lot more clear blame on fossil fuels. It’s such a simple message - if we dig up and burn carbon based fuels, we put more carbon into the atmosphere - that the vast majority of people understand it and almost feel relieved that they can carry on eating meat with a clear conscience.
The vocal few are now starting to shoot themselves in their collective feet. Reports of the great unwashed climate protestors in London leavings tons of plastic waste in their wake, Emma Thompson flying thousands of miles to support them, the insulation protestors causing pollution by stopping the M25 etc.
We need to keep pushing the positive message wherever we can.

I did feel like this but I the evidence suggests that a decision has been made to discriminate against livestock production in this country.
The trade deals indicate this and the poor construction of ELMS could be easily explained if the decree was that it must not support livestock farming.
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
I did feel like this but I the evidence suggests that a decision has been made to discriminate against livestock production in this country.
The trade deals indicate this and the poor construction of ELMS could be easily explained if the decree was that it must not support livestock farming.
The IPCC report makes no attempt to hide it. It actually says that deeply cutting ruminant numbers will create a cooling effect which can "buy time" to do the difficult bit in cutting fossil fuel emissions. Technically they are right. However, it means a large cut in the supply of high quality, highly bioavailable nutrients in the human diet. It doesn't make any recommendation how this gap is plugged or what climate impact plugging it will entail.

We should be shouting this out across society.

If we don't, we risk letting the politicians get away with devastating our industry just to "buy time" then wasting that time by failing to achieve the necessary deep cuts in fossil fuel use.

We are a scapegoat, pure and simple, imho and should be calling that out.
 
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Ffermer Bach

Member
Livestock Farmer
The IPCC report makes no attempt to hide it. It actually says that deeply cutting ruminant numbers will create a cooling effect which can "by time" to do the difficult bit in cutting fossil fuel emissions. Technically they are right. However, it means a large cut in the supply of high quality, highly bioavailable nutrients in the human diet. It doesn't make any recommendation how this gap is plugged or what climate impact plugging it will entail.

We should be shouting this out across society.

If we don't, we risk letting the politicians get away with devastating our industry just to "buy time" then wasting that time by failing to achieve the necessary deep cuts in fossil fuel use.

We are a scapegoat, pure and simple, imho and should be calling that out.
also it is the poorest in the world who rely on animal agriculture (on a world wide scale), so it is discriminating against the poorest too. Have they never read any of Alan Savory's work - that could buy us time to wean ourselves off fossil fuels as well as improving the diminishing stock of soil in the world at the same time.
 

Jackov Altraids

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
These are all valid and true points but they are all a smokescreen for the government deciding at some point in recent years, that livestock farming should be allowed/ encouraged to diminish in this Country.
Given time we can show that the IPCC, vegans etc. were wrong but it will be too late because of all the policy decisions being made now which are more than likely driven by 'business'.
Lets export services and import food.
Lets convert all agricultural buildings to residential
Lets plant trees to keep planes flying
Lets use all arable for 'renewables'
Lets have the the worlds first fake meat factories

We lost the argument when we didn't even know there was one.
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
These are all valid and true points but they are all a smokescreen for the government deciding at some point in recent years, that livestock farming should be allowed/ encouraged to diminish in this Country.
Given time we can show that the IPCC, vegans etc. were wrong but it will be too late because of all the policy decisions being made now which are more than likely driven by 'business'.
Lets export services and import food.
Lets convert all agricultural buildings to residential
Lets plant trees to keep planes flying
Lets use all arable for 'renewables'
Lets have the the worlds first fake meat factories

We lost the argument when we didn't even know there was one.
But.....

The vast majority of the general public still want real meat and real dairy products.

We haven't lost yet.

yet.
 

delilah

Member

The Agricultural industries assault on livestock farming.​


Have edited your heading for you.
NFU President on Any Questions: "We need to cut our livestock emissions".
NFU Deputy President on Farming Today: "We need to cut our methane emissions".
AHDB head of sustainability in evidence to Parliamentary select committee: "We need to reduce livestock numbers and plant trees ".
NFU and AHDB websites: Littered with references to the environmental damage caused by red meat agriculture.

Until we get our own house in order, I really don't see why everyone is moaning about the wider world.
 

7610 super q

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
It's everywhere. Like some sort of drip...drip...drip... torture. Even my local village FB page has numpties that pipe up with phrases like " sustainable farming ", and " less intensive farming ", probably gleaned from the likes of Countryfile.
The nearest they've come to farming is bagging up dog shite and hanging up on a branch. Yet we have to listen to half baked drivel from every Tom, Dick, and Karon.
When I point out I farmed organically for 25 years, that's pooh-poohed as well. I've just reached the conclusion the general public just don't like farmers.
What other industry has to put up with this meddling ? Does everyone have a say on how Honda cars are built in the Swindon factory ? No. Honda does as they please. Mass campaigning against the French building Nuclear power stations here ? No. Not a peep.
Oh well, another 10 years till retirement.... :)
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
These are all valid and true points but they are all a smokescreen for the government deciding at some point in recent years, that livestock farming should be allowed/ encouraged to diminish in this Country.
Given time we can show that the IPCC, vegans etc. were wrong but it will be too late because of all the policy decisions being made now which are more than likely driven by 'business'.
Lets export services and import food.
Lets convert all agricultural buildings to residential
Lets plant trees to keep planes flying
Lets use all arable for 'renewables'
Lets have the the worlds first fake meat factories

We lost the argument when we didn't even know there was one.
True

Livestock markets gone
Small local abattoirs gone
Local livestock hauliers gone
Milk collection dead zones
The list goes on
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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  • Up to 25%

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  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

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  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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