Are Contractors rates having to go up.

CPF

Member
Arable Farmer
When I run my contracting business I was never scared of putting my prices up I know for a fact I was one of the expensive contractors but the phone never stopped ring . All my main line tractors was doing over 2200 hours per year . It was mentioned on is forum that people could not believe we put on 3750 hrs in 19 months so charging the correct money for the job never put anyone off .
 
pretty well the whole ag industry is run on a shoestring, completely controlled by what the big super/mkts are prepared to pay, even for what they don't buy, their price sets the whole. Those that run the s/mkts, are extremely good business men, they don't give a ###### about anything other than their profit, they are completely ruthless.
All my farming life, it's been, not paid enough, but product is still produced. If the boot was on the other foot, and your suppliers kept moaning we need more money, but you can still buy all you need, without a price increase, what would you do ? It is only when short, does the price increase.
There used to be butter mountains, wine lakes, etc, 1,000,000's of tons of all ag produce, all held in intervention, set aside, quotas all came in to reduce the surplus. Well that surplus has gone, intervention is still there, for emergencies, but no longer is a surplus produced. Our milk prices are pretty near set, by the fronterra auctions, which trade just 5% of global dairy supplies, and all we get are accusations of destroying the planet, and given mega amounts in subsidies.
Contracting as a profession, must be hard, just as with farmers, imput prices are on a speedy upward surge, but what we sell, is not. You only have to go to an agshow, and see the mass of equipment, assistance, building, and drug companies present, start looking at them as parasites, because, they all rely on us, for their living, without us, the dole !
Much of the above, has been supported, by the 'just in time' system, that, l suspect, is nearly defunct. But it is important to realise the effect that will have, it will mean virtually every business will have to hold more stock, an expense that was removed. Who will pay for that stock ? You can be certain everyone will try and pass it down the line, in food, that's us. I am not sure that our industry can withstand higher imput costs, without rising prices, the trouble is, we are the bottom of the chain, and we will be targeted so all above us in that chain, try and pass those extra costs down, to us.
To be very fair, contractors are great, and we cannot do without them, but they are in the same dilemma as us, if we have reduced income, it cannot go out, and they to, are close to the bottom of that chain.
I hope this massive shock of brexit, covid and energy prices, along with the supply line issues, may finally make the penny drop. Because with prices of 85p for red diesel, and £650 a tonne for N, along with other prices, production has to take a hit, there is very little left in the pot, for many farmers, and alas, contractors.

I rely on supplying farmers for my living. Does that make me a parasite?

In a conversation with a farmer and customer of several years once he described all his suppliers as parasites. I told him I won’t be spoken to like that and I don’t give a flying f**k whether I do his work or not. Then I suggested he tries running his farm with nobody supplying what he needs.

Twunt was soon apologetic. I wasn’t. Told him I wouldn’t work for him again.
 
There has been several threads started on TFF over the years about how inputs are too dear and that certain companies are charging too much or that farmers, if they stick together, can get supplies a lot cheaper. Basically, driving down costs.

It’s understandable that farmers feel this way from their fertiliser and chemical supplies to their contractors and advisors supplying services.

However, if all that driving down of costs ends at its logical conclusion, where will farming be then? At the mercy of a few huge corporations that can control and manipulate the market.

Farming is already at that stage with many inputs.

It’s a very tricky time for all of us. The only certain fact is that we’re absolutely bonkers to keep doing it.
 

CPF

Member
Arable Farmer
Did you run a fleet of fergie's? I remember your pictures from the past.
No . The fleet of Fergie’s belong to a big vegetable grower which I’ve got involved with which I go there part time .
We run case and Jcb’s fastrac’s
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
I rely on supplying farmers for my living. Does that make me a parasite?

In a conversation with a farmer and customer of several years once he described all his suppliers as parasites. I told him I won’t be spoken to like that and I don’t give a flying f**k whether I do his work or not. Then I suggested he tries running his farm with nobody supplying what he needs.

Twunt was soon apologetic. I wasn’t. Told him I wouldn’t work for him again.
l think l might not have made that clear, but l did say you were great, and we couldn't do without you, perhaps l should have said, 2nd from bottom of the chain !
But, farmers will be in a very difficult position, if prices don't rise, unless there is a very substantial rise, it will still not benefit the farmers, all those parasites will grab it, before it gets to us. The best hope of better prices, is to lower production, when everybody from guv down, is telling us to increase production, so we can 'spread' the cost over more product, now, l wonder who benefits from that policy, certainly not us.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Ok, fair enough, I see your point, but I still think parasite is a strong and derogatory term for your suppliers.

Do you think the average household calls farmers parasites for supplying their food?

I’m not sure of an acceptable term. Partners is maybe over egging the pudding
We all rely on someone for our income , it's a crazy term and don't know anyone who uses it bar a few farmers, like I already said the contractors I use are some of my closest friends , one spreads my lime even though I have my own spreader , they are part of farming
 

Kevtherev

Member
Location
Welshpool Powys
Ok, fair enough, I see your point, but I still think parasite is a strong and derogatory term for your suppliers.

Do you think the average household calls farmers parasites for supplying their food?

I’m not sure of an acceptable term. Partners is maybe over egging the pudding
Service provider is the word you are looking for or Field Technician.
Parasite is a word of use for ‘consultant’
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
Ok, fair enough, I see your point, but I still think parasite is a strong and derogatory term for your suppliers.

Do you think the average household calls farmers parasites for supplying their food?

I’m not sure of an acceptable term. Partners is maybe over egging the pudding
the higher up the chain you go, the greater the profit, those profits would simply not exist, without us.
The definition of a parasite, is something that solely lives, off another living things efforts, or something like that, sums it up quite well.
We go to shows, read farm mags etc, especially shows, where millions£ of kit are displayed, the makers and distributors of all that kit, earn their living, of us. Yet most of them, wouldn't make it, for the returns farmers make. £50/60,000 for a drill, £200,000 for a tractor to pull it, and corn at less than £200/ton, and they call it efficiency, that goes right across the board, it looks bad, written down, but they still talk us into buying it.
 
the higher up the chain you go, the greater the profit, those profits would simply not exist, without us.
The definition of a parasite, is something that solely lives, off another living things efforts, or something like that, sums it up quite well.
We go to shows, read farm mags etc, especially shows, where millions£ of kit are displayed, the makers and distributors of all that kit, earn their living, of us. Yet most of them, wouldn't make it, for the returns farmers make. £50/60,000 for a drill, £200,000 for a tractor to pull it, and corn at less than £200/ton, and they call it efficiency, that goes right across the board, it looks bad, written down, but they still talk us into buying it.

I think a parasite takes all it can and provides nothing of value in return.

I really can’t see many farmers being conned into doing that, certainly not twice.

So, on reflection, I’ll take the term as an insult. But I won’t hold it against you. These are tricky times which we will all suffer through and things will get said that aren’t meant. 👍👍
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 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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