Sad looking farms

Derrick Hughes · Feb 23, 2024

It's crazy how the UK has but cut up
Some in England clearly loving their new payments
In Wales clearly not , but like I said how many smaller livestock farmers in England are signing up for the payments, or is it a barley barrons payment ?

Farfrae · Feb 23, 2024

I was going to start a new thread on this but perhaps it's appropriate here. I'd be interested to see what peoples views are on this article which seems to have some relevance.

A Sinister Agenda Down on the Farm

Widgetone · Feb 23, 2024

This thread demonstrates clearly, to me anyway, how divided the industry is internally. No wonder the public don't have a clue, how could they? Even the marginally interested only see stuff like the Times leader on another TFF thread.

No fault or blame meant, all ag sectors have to operate as assorted policies dictate as they come and go - hats off to you folk for having to interpret and then implement them. And undo it all again twice a decade or so as policies are revised or reversed.

One thing that does come out is that most farms love to farm, not many would want to sit in some dreary office on some nondescript commercial/industrial site doing something mind numbingly dull all day every day, rain or shine.

Bald Rick · Feb 23, 2024

Derrick Hughes said:
It's crazy how the UK has but cut up
Some in England clearly loving their new payments
In Wales clearly not , but like I said how many smaller livestock farmers in England are signing up for the payments, or is it a barley barrons payment ?

A MAJOR problem is that we in Wales have no idea what WG are intending to pay under SFS - and remember, of course, that 10% trees, 10% habitat, up to 17 compulsory Universal Actions AND submitting your carbon data to WG annually only gets you in to the basic scheme. There will be optional layers above that.

And WG have already hived off 10-11% of the agricultural budget in to health & climate change.
So I fully expect the basic SFS to be buttons

Henarar · Feb 23, 2024

daveydiesel1 said:
Hats off to the 1s that have done this wilding nonsence, meanwhile here in ni most progressive farms are chasing litres and cow numbers, think il stick to that and leave growing docks and nettles to the rest of yous professional farmers

thanks

Clive · Feb 23, 2024

Henarar said:
would you rather have half the food you have now or non at all ?

food is not is short supply, in fact as i've said before its so plentiful it can be bought often at less than the cost of production

Farmers should be happy to see less production, it may (should) lead to better prices

JockCroft · Feb 23, 2024

farmerm said:
I felt 20 years ago a positivity, a country that was moving forward but today it feels like we have stagnated even going backwards. The UK once led the way but today we do not have the resources, the oil, the rare elements, the semi conductors, the cheap labour that drive global wealth creation. Aging populations that need ever more spending, global conflicts that need ever more spending, over valued currency that can only lead towards long term import cost inflation for a nation reliant on imports. We are going backwards and we are going to have to learn to accept it.

All too true.
In my 50+ years farming, there have been many ups and downs, much of it probably due to weather influences.
When I started out late teens 1969 (as father in poor health) things were quite static, but not a lot of spare cash for investment. Patents often talked about how egg production was no longer paying.
Then early 70's prep and entry to Common Market, huge incentives to grow businesses with big grants, but most folks acquired big borrowings to match. Things were really motoring. Big increases in livestock, new buildings and machines.
Then very difficult weather years (85 the worst) put huge pressures on many farmers.
Since then its been a Roller Coaster ride.

How we plan for the short term and longer term route for our own farms is a bigger gamble than ever before.
In my opinion anyone planning long term investment in land or buildings, must have a robust disaster plan, should a crisis situation happen. Not many will have cash reserves to weather a storm.

Spencer · Feb 23, 2024

Clive said:
i said in an early post it’s obviously not so pretty today BUT it is achieving its aim a feeding a lot of birds / providing habitat for all sorts of wildlife

it will be pretty again through summer, some is annual so will be redrilled in spring and some 2 year mixes will be topped to return seed and they should great for another year

driving about the country recently there are plenty of cash crops not looking very pretty right now, waterlogged, zero wildlife habit of feeding, drains running brown, erosion, run off and leaching all polluting and slitting up watercourses …………. is that “pretty” or worth tax payers cash ? and more importantly will it make the farmer a living this year ?

Agreed.. but just be more interesting and actually relevant to this thread if you took a current photo, not a younger looking one?

Clive · Feb 23, 2024

Spencer said:
Agreed.. but just be more interesting and actually relevant to this thread if you took a current photo, not a younger looking one?

will get one when i'm near next

Derrick Hughes · Feb 23, 2024

Clive said:
food is not is short supply, in fact as i've said before its so plentiful it can be bought often at less than the cost of production

Farmers should be happy to see less production, it may (should) lead to better prices

Less production from abroad not here
As you said what we do here has no effect on food prices apart from short shelf life foods like fresh milk
It could infact make food cheaper if the UK cuts back as they will looking for stronger contracts from food bought abroad
I import a lot if Ryegrass Seed from Germany, the bigger the tonage the cheaper I get it
If uk farmers cut back on Herbage Seed Growing , my sales would increase, I could then supply cheaper

Clive · Feb 23, 2024

Derrick Hughes said:
Less production from abroad not here
As you said what we do here has no effect on food prices apart from short shelf life foods like fresh milk
It could infact make food cheaper if the UK cuts back as they will looking for stronger contracts from food bought abroad

My problems end at the farm gate - i will leave balance of payments concerns and and food security issues to politicians

I'm not going to starve, ultimately I can shoot straight and grow stuff !

Derrick Hughes · Feb 23, 2024

Clive said:
My problems end at the farm gate - i will leave balance of payments concerns and and food security issues to politicians

I'm not going to starve, ultimately I can shoot straight and grow stuff !

But expecting food prices to rise if you put half your farm into flowering weeds ,it's just not going to happen , unless the rest of the World follows your lead

Clive · Feb 23, 2024

Derrick Hughes said:
But expecting food prices to rise if you put half your farm into flowering weeds ,it's just not going to happen , unless the rest of the World follows your lead

reduced supply should lead to better price but yes, I agree, in a global market the UK situation makes little difference

i'm a bit less dependant upon food prices now however so somewhat de risked

Derrick Hughes · Feb 23, 2024

Clive said:
reduced supply should lead to better price but yes, I agree, in a global market the UK situation makes little difference

i'm a bit less dependant upon food prices now however so somewhat de risked

Your a supplier like me with various products you supply or pass on , we are both dependent on farmers incomes in various degrees, farmers do well everyone who supplies them benefits, which makes us dependent on food prices

Clive · Feb 23, 2024

Derrick Hughes said:
Your a supplier like me with various products you supply or pass on , we are both dependent on farmers incomes in various degrees, farmers do well everyone who supplies them benefits, which makes us dependent on food prices

I'm not a supplier of anything, I'm a farmer, a commercial and residential property owner / landlord, social media bussines owner and an investor

Derrick Hughes · Feb 23, 2024

Clive said:
I'm not a supplier of anything, I'm a farmer, a commercial and residential property owner / landlord, social media bussines owner and an investor

But don't you get a share of the profit from Marketplace, but anyway , these are the people that keep me going
3 sheep or 3000 they all get treated the same

livestock 1 · Feb 23, 2024

We that farm the hill land have been farming ground that carries many species of birds and other wildlife too numerous to mention
We also have the biggest share of the walkers and visitors compared to lower lying land
This speaks volumes as far as the bullshite some are speaking about public good
I’m at a loss to why this has been so divisive in terms of farm type and why the already environmentally minded farmers have been thrown under a bus

Devil's advocate · Feb 23, 2024

livestock 1 said:
We that farm the hill land have been farming ground that carries many species of birds and other wildlife too numerous to mention
We also have the biggest share of the walkers and visitors compared to lower lying land
This speaks volumes as far as the bullshite some are speaking about public good
I’m at a loss to why this has been so divisive in terms of farm type and why the already environmentally minded farmers have been thrown under a bus

Levelling up.

I used to get £16,000. This year I shall get £10,000 plus what is left of SFP.

I will have to spend a lot of time walling (its better done never regretted maintaing walls) put up with some raggy hedges & have to shoot more pigeons.

Life goes on the weather & prices are much more important.

d-wales · Feb 23, 2024

Derrick Hughes said:
It's crazy how the UK has but cut up
Some in England clearly loving their new payments
In Wales clearly not , but like I said how many smaller livestock farmers in England are signing up for the payments, or is it a barley barrons payment ?

What are the Welsh payments?

livestock 1 · Feb 23, 2024

Devil's advocate said:
Levelling up.

I used to get £16,000. This year I shall get £10,000 plus what is left of SFP.

I will have to spend a lot of time walling (its better done never regretted maintaing walls) put up with some raggy hedges & have to shoot more pigeons.

Life goes on the weather & prices are much more important.

You are eligible for £650 ha that’s your choice not to take it because you can make more without it
I get £8 ha

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