- Location
- Lincolnshire
Who brought it on though? We saw “farming companies” get a hold here in the 1980’s.There was a small mixed farmer down the road in the sixties/seventies, less than 150 acres. He had a new car every year, up to date machinery, and put his 2 children through private education. Therein lies the problem, we have been financially exploited for years.
They took on ever more acres with fewer and fewer temporary staff. Bigger, faster, cheaper. And the supermarkets just said “Oh so you can do it for as little as that can you? OK then we will have for as little as that.” Then Mr Big farmer started to sweat and went under only to bought out by Mr Even Bigger Farmer who said to the supermarket “Please Mr Supermarket, I can do it a penny cheaper. Please buy from me.” And so the cabbages on the wholesale market became worthless and Mr Small Farmer didn’t stand a chance.
In my view the supermarkets never really “asked” for cheap food. They just had to sit and wait for farmers to cut one another’s throats to offer it to them, in an insane drive to be the biggest in the county. Because all that matters to some farmers is being the biggest in the county regardless of whether it busts us all in the process of getting there. Own worst enemies.