Big changes ahead then

[Chae1]

Hmm another bse type probelm in the making , feeding dead animals to animals not great thing to do .

I agree. Can't think it would sit well with consumers either.

Big poultry unit up here think that's what they will have to feed in future.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Why the heck should fertiliser plants be nationalised? You think the government can magically buy gas cheaper than private business? Run the plants at a subsidised loss? We know where that ends up.

More to the point, why should the market-collectively speaking- give a fudge if the price does quadruple? Farmers will use less of it. They will harvest less grass or grain. I'm not being deliberately and obliquely facetious here but we can all see that this is going to lead to a shortage of actual farmgate commodity in the coming months. The supply will reduce and unless demand drops drastically, the price is going to have to go up or folk just won't bother. But it's not like farmers made an absolute killing when fertiliser was cheap, did they? They got their bit of margin and that was that. People here can no doubt remember times when fertiliser and dairy cake was £100/tonne. I personally can remember seeing hipro soya at £220/tonne at the docks and rapemeal was about £130/tonne. I think I can remember buying a fair few tonnes of British sugarbeet at about £118/tonne as well. I don't think any one made any more or any less money at the time mind. The stuff was bought, margin was added and that was that.

And you and I both know that the price of fertiliser, even if fully accounted for and added to the cost of every egg, every litre and every lamb chop sold, would never be noticed by the consumer because it will be a tiny sliver of a fraction of the retail price of the stuff.

The population of this forum have seen grain prices at £60/tonne. They've farmed through BSE, Foot and mouth, that bint talking nonsense about salmonella in eggs- you name it. A rise in fertiliser and other inputs is just one next bump in the road. No matter what happens someone is going to be out there trying to buy your milk, your grain or your turkey. Twas ever thus.

We were certainly most profitable in the early 80's here.

Farm incomes have risen signifcantly since but UK farmers keep on spending it on more inputs and shiny toys.

 

[Hilly]

I agree. Can't think it would sit well with consumers either.

Big poultry unit up here think that's what they will have to feed in future.

I hope im wrong but I can’t see it ending well.

 

[serf]

DO you think Bolsanaro might ride to the salvation of the Red Wall

He'll soon get all the trees /saplings ripped out and some food growing

 

[DrWazzock]

If only it were that simple.

Did you see the piece about the EU car plants being close to closing due to lack of magnesium to harden aluminium into allow panels? We responded to China dumping magnesium on the EU market in 2003 by closing the only remaining EU magnesium plant. Now 87% of the world's magnesium comes from China. It's not feasible to just stop buying it, not in the short trem at least.

Lots of other goods are the same now.

Our fertiliser plants will go the same way. Then we will be entirely reliant in imported N. Not exactly a position of strength.

 

[tullah]

Looks like it will be good old manual work producing food will rule. No emissions there.
This plan is being put into effect at least 75 years too late and if they are going to achieve their goal the whole world will have to go back to living as they did three generations ago and forget about economics or standards of living.
But this won't happen so face the consequences.

 

[Chae1]

I hope im wrong but I can’t see it ending well.

I don't fancy eating meat fed on insects either. Or feeding them to our own cattle.

Don't feed any soya at the moment anyway.

 

[Ted M]

Will be feeding insects for protein soon.

And yet insects are a bigger source of methane by weight than ruminants apparently

 

[unlacedgecko]

I agree. Can't think it would sit well with consumers either.

Big poultry unit up here think that's what they will have to feed in future.

Nothing wrong with feeding insects to monogastrics. They’re omnivores anyway.

I don’t agree with feeding dead animals to ruminants though.

 

[tullah]

If only it were that simple.

Did you see the piece about the EU car plants being close to closing due to lack of magnesium to harden aluminium into allow panels? We responded to China dumping magnesium on the EU market in 2003 by closing the only remaining EU magnesium plant. Now 87% of the world's magnesium comes from China. It's not feasible to just stop buying it, not in the short trem at least.

Lots of other goods are the same now.

Agreed that it's not an option or we have all out war. Just accept that to get anywhere with this, China has to almost shut down. Even if they cooperated, I think we've already gone way beyond the point of no return.

 

[Kevtherev]

Wants a f**king big riot
Preferably outside Westminster they might listen then.
@Cab-over Pete get your coat

 

[More to life]

I know several dairy farmers who haven't used any soya in their diet for years. It is no big loss really.

Only problem is there isn't enough rape meal anymore.

 

[br jones]

Wants a f**king big riot
Preferably outside Westminster they might listen then.
@Cab-over Pete get your coat

i coming ,oh hang on bake offs on

 

[neilo]

There are other sources of protein, and plenty of other countries can grow sunflower, OSR, etc. It's not the end of the world.

Of course, export our problems by importing OSR from countries that still use neonics.

With the way I farm currently, a complete ban on soya wouldn’t affect me at all tbh. However, it will dramatically affect more intensive systems, which are the ones that provide more food per ha and, in the case of pigs & poultry, more efficiently/at lower cost.

 

[Kevtherev]

Of course, export our problems by importing OSR from countries that still use neonics.

With the way I farm currently, a complete ban on soya wouldn’t affect me at all tbh. However, it will dramatically affect more intensive systems, which are the ones that provide more food per ha and, in the case of pigs & poultry, more efficiently/at lower cost.

A lot of those that are now geared up for those intensive systems where will the reduction in soya leave them?

 

[neilo]

A lot of those that are now geared up for those intensive systems where will the reduction in soya leave them?

fooked?

 

[More to life]

There not banning soya just insisting it's sustainable it's not the end of the world.

 

[hoyboy]

So are we losing soya for pigs and poultry too or is it only for cattle? Could be a good thing for us sheep and beef boys if it leads to an increase in the price of white meat

 

[Clive]

Like it or loathe it, imported soya is a key ingredient of many livestock rations in the U.K. I’d say it would take 20 years to find a viable alternative without seriously rocking the boat. Lupins show promise but aren’t there yet.

assured livestock fed on unassured imported soya ……… surely not

 

[abitdaft]

I try to keep myself on a mental health even keel at all times but FFS when you feel like the entire world is against you it makes you wonder why TF we do it. Today has been a shite day half killing ourselves to get jobs done before dark and then you have to listen/read bollox about how bad farming is for the planet? Well okay then, come out of your own wee box that you shout from and show me how to do it better? Coz I am sick to death of being the bad guy ( well wummin ). I am also sick to death about hearing ignorant no nothings spout out crap on the radio about deforestation in Scotland for sheep, FFS the clearances were more about clearing people from the land than tree's or lynx or beavers and wolves. What about the bloody people? Plus this was from about 1750 to 1860 We farm hill ground that has maps that go back to the 1500's ( Timothy Pont ) and 500 years ago the landscape here was almost entirely as it is now! When climate activist put THEIR money into the land that they talk so passionately about and can teach the person that has been farming that piece of ground down through generations, ie they know how each area of ground is at each time of year given the weather etc then I may be interested in listening. Sorry for the rant, tried a new Tempranillo ( hubby calls it Tempramental )