George Eustice

Henarar · Oct 30, 2021

Tarw Coch said:
What makes you so sure they won’t be taxing meat itself, I’m at a stage nothing they do would surprise me

I was having a laugh, they are plenty stupid enough to do it and equally stupid enough to import without taxing therefore exporting the preserved problem which isn't actually a problem but even if it was exporting it wouldn't help anyway but as long as they look good that is all they care about.
All of what they are doing at the moment in the name of the environment as far as AG is concerned is going to turn out to be environmentally damaging

Raider112 · Oct 30, 2021

Top Tip. said:
He has had this explained to him and he is not stupid,he is playing to the audience that will keep him in a job ie Boris, nut nuts etc. He is the village idiot that dances to their tune.

Well we need to cut out the middle man. It's time for a big publicity campaign that nobody can ignore.
Forget the old outdated workings that say livestock is responsible for 5% of emissions, we need full page adverts, we need press conferences, whatever it takes to get the message out that methane is now recognised by the IPCC as being a short lived gas that lasts 12 years, not 100 years and MUST be calculated as such.
That grassland can be as effective as trees at sequestering carbon and that MUST be removed from the grazing animal's footprint.
That 40% of the carcase isn't eaten and has dozens of uses that would otherwise need synthetic products which MUST be allowed in the reckoning.
Add on the fertiliser provided by livestock that would be replaced by artificial ferts and livestock could well be carbon positive.
Whatever it costs it has to be done as soon as possible and as boldly as we can possibly make it, we need everyone to be aware of the negligible impact of meat so that there is a backlash against any suggestion of a tax.
Over to you the NFU and the levy chargers.

Henarar · Oct 30, 2021

Raider112 said:
Well we need to cut out the middle man. It's time for a big publicity campaign that nobody can ignore.
Forget the old outdated workings that say livestock is responsible for 5% of emissions, we need full page adverts, we need press conferences, whatever it takes to get the message out that methane is now recognised by the IPCC as being a short lived gas that lasts 12 years, not 100 years and MUST be calculated as such.
That grassland can be as effective as trees at sequestering carbon and that MUST be removed from the grazing animal's footprint.
That 40% of the carcase isn't eaten and has dozens of uses that would otherwise need synthetic products which MUST be allowed in the reckoning.
Add on the fertiliser provided by livestock that would be replaced by artificial ferts and livestock could well be carbon positive.
Whatever it costs it has to be done as soon as possible and as boldly as we can possibly make it, we need everyone to be aware of the negligible impact of meat so that there is a backlash against any suggestion of a tax.
Over to you the NFU and the levy chargers.

perhaps AHDB would like to do it instead of giving money to RT

Agrivator · Oct 30, 2021

HatsOff said:
We have a government which is cutting taxes on domestic plane flights, petrol and diesel duty and is seriously contemplating taxing cows as carbon emitters.

Insane.

Cutting fuel duty on domestic flights won't necessarily lead to more folk flying. But folk living in the Highlands and Islands will pay a bit less for what are essential plane flights once or twice a year. And it's not easy getting to and from NI by other means.

Macsky · Oct 30, 2021

Hats off to Martin Kennedy NFUS for having a go

Cowabunga · Oct 30, 2021

So, let's get this right. The aircraft industry is a massive emitter of GHGasses and is allowed to offset those emissions and escape taxes by buying and having trees.
UK cows are tiny emitters that have been around in about the same numbers or more since time immemorial, which are on land that absorbs GHG and anyway whose gas has a short half life, so that the cows never actually add to CHG's, unlike transport, energy and industry other than agriculture never mind house heating if by gas or oil, even if these are used by central generators for the grid.

Then there's this offsetting. Why are other industries allowed to offset by buying farm land yet farmers can't use their own land to officially offset? I have [owned] valleys on both sides plus hedges full of trees and wilderness acres, plus all the grassland that all should have equal offsetting status to land that oil and transport companies are buying up for this express purpose with official approval. Why are my cows and land not treated equally?

Why is N fertiliser factory emission counted as part of agricultural emission when almost all its CO2 is captured and used for essential other purposes, as recently demonstrated and whose companies are currently expressly paid by HM's Government to actually produce CO2 [in the absence of N fertiliser production], including fire extinguishers, propellant for cosmetics, propellant and gasifier for liquid refreshments including soft drinks and fizzy beers plus, the very essential coolant for UK Advanced Gas Cooled nuclear reactors?

Why is the bloody No F'in Use not even trying to get this message across rather than agreeing that cows are a problem and giving ammunition to those, like George Eustace, that are aiming to impose tax on the food we produce, which will indeed speed up the elimination of ruminant animal [grass eaters] farming in much of rural UK and ruin massive numbers of family businesses and the rural economy. Their own members!

Henarar · Oct 30, 2021

Cowabunga said:
So, let's get this right. The aircraft industry is a massive emitter of GHGasses and is allowed to offset those emissions and escape taxes by buying and having trees.
UK cows are tiny emitters that have been around in about the same numbers or more since time immemorial which are on land that absorbs GHG and anyway whose gas has a short half life so that the cows never actually add to CHG's, unlike transport, energy and industry other than agriculture.

Then there's this offsetting. Why are other industries allowed to offset by buying farm land yet farmers can't use their own land to officially offset. I have valleys on both sides plus hedges full of trees, never mind all the grassland that should have equal offsetting status to land that oil and transport companies are buying up for this express purpose with official approval. Why are my cows and land not treated equally?

Why is the bloody No F'in Use not even trying to get this message across rathe than agreeing that cows are a problem and giving ammunition to those, like George Eustace, that are aiming to impose tax on the food we produce, which will indeed speed up the elimination of animal farming in much or rural UK and ruin massive numbers of family businesses. Their own members!

Gravy ?

Tarw Coch · Oct 30, 2021

Henarar said:
Gravy ?

Reading the well written post above by cowabunga along with other excellent posts on this forum, the fact that the NFU leadership aren’t singing from the same hymn sheet leads me to one of two conclusions, either they are more concerned about their future seats on the gravy train than facts or they are incredibly dumb.
Either way such people shouldn’t be allowed to represent our industry, just how we remove them is another matter.

Hampton · Oct 30, 2021

Can’t see it because behind a pay wall.
anyone read this?

George Eustice: 'I'm a long way from being vegan'

The Environment Secretary is on a mission to transform farming – and that will likely include eating less meat, and paying more for it

www.telegraph.co.uk

Cowabunga · Oct 30, 2021

I've been telling people which way the wind was blowing for the last five years or so. Only now are farmers here, for the most part, opening their eyes to the shít heading in their direction from all sides. I really didn't expect the NFU to go along with it though. I didn't expect them to particularly effective, but to actually agree that there is a problem where none exists is unconscionable and inexcusable.

With this stance they won't even be getting my insurance money next renewal. They are of No eFin Use to man nor certainly to the beast at the moment. They don't handle insurance claims locally any longer either, so what exactly am I paying for?

The main objective of the NFU currently seems to be to try and market themselves to their members, not to actually represent their member's interests or to counter other media misinformation. They are doing themselves out of their jobs and, at this rate of incompetence, the sooner they go the better. Are they currently any better than useless or counterproductive? I have grave doubts.

Humble Village Farmer · Oct 30, 2021

Simple. Stop farming and let the clever people sort out their own food.

Joined up thinking and open, honest and informed debate is what's desperately needed.

hally · Oct 30, 2021

I honestly think the time is rapidly approaching when farmers are going to decide if they are going to go down quietly without a fight as the government actively campaigns against us, withdraws subsidy whilst aiding the big corporations massively hiking all our inputs (do you think the French would put up with it ) or get a bit more militant to protect this industry.
Although we are not there yet and hopefully will never be, but it’s a decision we are all going to have to make.

BrianV · Oct 30, 2021

hally said:
I honestly think the time is rapidly approaching when farmers are going to decide if they are going to go down quietly without a fight as the government actively campaigns against us, withdraws subsidy whilst aiding the big corporations massively hiking all our inputs (do you think the French would put up with it ) or get a bit more militant to protect this industry.
Although we are not there yet and hopefully will never be, but it’s a decision we are all going to have to make.

Unfortunately by participating in this ELMS fiasco farmers are simply reinforcing the government’s agenda, I know some farmers have little choice but by the description of the trial participants a lot are not the ones most in need or deserving of help

Happy · Oct 30, 2021

Have said it on here before but Eustice is just a Puppet put in place to make us think we have one of our own in their.

Real decisions are made by the former Green Party founders and friends of the earth activists now in charge of UK government policy.

Jackov Altraids · Oct 30, 2021

Happy said:
Have said it on here before but Eustice is just a Puppet put in place to make us think we have one of our own in their.

Real decisions are made by the former Green Party founders and friends of the earth activists now in charge of UK government policy.

Which wouldn't be too bad if they had practical strategies rather than false idealisms.

Jackov Altraids · Oct 30, 2021

Agrivator said:
Cutting fuel duty on domestic flights won't necessarily lead to more folk flying. But folk living in the Highlands and Islands will pay a bit less for what are essential plane flights once or twice a year. And it's not easy getting to and from NI by other means.

Of course it will.
It is cheaper and easier for me to fly to Liverpool and stay a night than to go by car, train or bus.
Highlands and Islands should get tax breaks and not used as an excuse to keep air travel cheap.

Jackov Altraids · Oct 30, 2021

farmerm said:
Be much simpler to just have a global agreement for all countries to put X $/L tax on all shipping fuel.....

Absolutely and that has to be the hope for COP 26.

It also desperately needs a global taxation strategy for global business.

In practice it won't happen as someone will always want to undercut everyone else to secure all the business. And those businesses have more money/ power than most of the countries.

DaveGrohl · Oct 30, 2021

The Man Utd flight really beggars belief. Someone needs a slap for that.

7610 super q · Oct 30, 2021

Can't see the point in taxing meat. Taxing alcohol and cigarettes didn't stop folks from buying booze and fags. So folks that still want to eat meat will buy it. The only difference being it'll be imported meat instead of home grown ?
The plan seems to be to extinguish the remaining UK farmers for whatever reason.....

Castle Farm · Oct 30, 2021

Laughable.
If this was France farmers would actually do something, not wait for someone that doesn't care to do nothing. We need to grow a pair and get out there and block roads.

George Eustice

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Never Forgotten

Member

0 %

Up to 25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

100% I’ve had enough of farming!

Share this page