Clarkson has just realised we’re basically screwed

[Farma Parma]

Clarkson urges public to 'contact government' over Brexit food standards

Jeremy Clarkson has urged people worried about the future of British food production post-Brexit to 'contact the government immediately'.

www.farminguk.com

 

[Purli R]

At least he"s realised where farming may be heading & has spoken up,as for those pricks in Westminster they dont give a flying f**k about you, me,agriculture or even the man in the street,if people start rioting because of events in America,just wait til they"re hungry!

 

[stewart]

At least he"s realised where farming may be heading & has spoken up,as for those pricks in Westminster they dont give a flying fudge about you, me,agriculture or even the man in the street,if people start rioting because of events in America,just wait til they"re hungry!

They will not go hungry, the rest of the world can supply the UK with what it is unable to produce, much of it at a more economical cost.

 

[Farmer Roy]

They will not go hungry, the rest of the world can supply the UK with what it is unable to produce, much of it at a more economical cost.

which is what it has always done since about the 1700’s
From the former colonies, from the EU or from the US . . .

refrigeration was basically invented to ship meat from the Southern Hemisphere to the UK . . .

 

[Yale]

And this is what we as UK farmers have to get our head around.

We are not in the business now to produce that extra kilo of meat,milk or grain.We are here to extract the maximum profit to financially survive.

Producing more food is far easier than more profit.

We are here to feed our families,not the world and if that means growing no crop then so be it!

 

[Farmer Roy]

The push to produce more food or the pressure to feed the public with cheap food is the biggest con & the saddest trick ever played on the UK farmer . . .

It IS NOT your responsibility to feed the world - it’s your responsibility to feed your family, your community & most of all - be profitable . . .

 

[Henarar]

"Even now, I cannot sell a lamb I delivered and reared on my own farm in my own farm shop for less than you’d pay for a New Zealand lamb in the supermarket.

Why would he want to ? if customers wanted to buy lamb at a supermarket then that's where they will go, he needs to make his lamb worth paying more for or cut his costs
lamb can be sold cheaper than the supermarket NZ stuff ​

 

[Henarar]

The push to produce more food or the pressure to feed the public with cheap food is the biggest con & the saddest trick ever played on the UK farmer . . .

It IS NOT your responsibility to feed the world - it’s your responsibility to feed your family, your community & most of all - be profitable . . .

At one time it wasn't a con but it is now

 

[Sid]

We are here to feed our families,not the world and if that means growing no crop then so be it

This also dismisses those that say organic farming can not feed the world.

 

[Top Tip.]

They will not go hungry, the rest of the world can supply the UK with what it is unable to produce, much of it at a more economical cost.

It starts of more economical but when we are totally dependent on elsewhere that’s when we are over a barrel. It takes very little to tip the balance in world trade.

 

[DrWazzock]

What amuses me is millionaires paying top whack for thousands of acres then moaning that they are screwed. Firstly why buy it at all, and secondly why pay so much for it, which indirectly pushes production costs ever higher? That's the root of the problem. They seem to want their cake and to eat it. They want the IHT benefit and to be handsomely rewarded for farming it by continued subsidy AND protection from cheap imports, the extra costs being footed by the taxpayer and shopper. Really?

And would we be happy, if, for example, we paid a portion of our taxes to keep British Leyland in business producing tractors at twice the price of foreign competitors and weren't allowed to buy the cheaper foreign tractors?

We are certainly heading towards a very large iceberg. The combination of subsidy removal and cheap imports (if either actually comes true) could well sink us if we carry on as we are.
For my part I believe we need to think first and foremost like businessmen, not farmers. We need to adjust where we invest our capital to spread the risk and not have too many eggs in one basket.

But trying to fight the tide of global free markets that has opened up just about every other sector of trade is a bit silly.

Personally I think I can compete anyway with imports. I have been doing so for most of my life. Hardly surprising that JC can't though is it? Too many fingers in the pie. When he is in the farm workshop refurbing his own 30 year old machinery I will have some sympathy but while he is farming it as a hobby using agents and managers then frankly I have none at all.

 

[stewart]

It starts of more economical but when we are totally dependent on elsewhere that’s when we are over a barrel. It takes very little to tip the balance in world trade.

The UK has been dependent on imported food for at least the last 100 years.

 

[Muddyroads]

What amuses me is millionaires paying top whack for thousands of acres then moaning that they are screwed. Firstly why buy it at all, and secondly why pay so much for it, which indirectly pushes production costs ever higher? That's the root of the problem. They seem to want their cake and to eat it. They want the IHT benefit and to be handsomely rewarded for farming it by continued subsidy AND protection from cheap imports, the extra costs being footed by the taxpayer and shopper. Really?

And would we be happy, if, for example, we paid a portion of our taxes to keep British Leyland in business producing tractors at twice the price of foreign competitors and weren't allowed to buy the cheaper foreign tractors?

We are certainly heading towards a very large iceberg. The combination of subsidy removal and cheap imports (if either actually comes true) could well sink us if we carry on as we are.
For my part I believe we need to think first and foremost like businessmen, not farmers. We need to adjust where we invest our capital to spread the risk and not have too many eggs in one basket.

But trying to fight the tide of global free markets that has opened up just about every other sector of trade is a bit silly.

Personally I think I can compete anyway with imports. I have been doing so for most of my life. Hardly surprising that JC can't though is it? Too many fingers in the pie. When he is in the farm workshop refurbing his own 30 year old machinery I will have some sympathy but while he is farming it as a hobby using agents and managers then frankly I have none at all.

But Clarkson said that farming is screwed, not him. We’re all entitled to have hobbies if we choose to. Remember that he won’t be making his tv programme, or writing his newspaper articles for free either. He’s bought himself a lifestyle with inheritance tax benefits which can extend his career beyond driving cars in various parts of the world.
If, in the meantime, he can highlight to Joe Public what’s going on in the world of UK farming and food production better than Countryfile, AHDB and the NFU combined, then I’m all for it.

 

[DrWazzock]

There isn’t a farmer in this area who couldn’t sell up and live very well on the proceeds. Money has been pouring into land in Lincolnshire from other industries. They are all grown up hard headed businessmen. I have no sympathy whatsoever. Most of the small family farms were shoved out years ago by these big spenders who inflated land prices and rents way beyond what could be sustained by production.

 

[Muddyroads]

They’re not the only ones. The National Trust have just bought 9 acres of Exmoor for £1.5 million!

 

[DaveGrohl]

Clarkson is actually doing a bit of work himself with amusing results. Fair play to him. It's entertaining me reading about his exploits. If that's what he wants to do with his money who am I to criticise?

I've never understood the "we must increase production of food" mindset that some farmers have. All I've ever been interested in is making money from this farm I have. Couldn't give a flying fekk whether that's linked to volume of "produce" or not. I have absolutely no moral obligation to feed our nation or any other.

 

[Henarar]

There isn’t a farmer in this area who couldn’t sell up and live very well on the proceeds. Money has been pouring into land in Lincolnshire from other industries. They are all grown up hard headed businessmen. I have no sympathy whatsoever. Most of the small family farms were shoved out years ago by these big spenders who inflated land prices and rents way beyond what could be sustained by production.

Nobody rent around your way then
If some farmers sold up round here all they would have is enough to see a year or so out maybe, you make it sound like everyone is sat on a fortune

 

[Hilly]

They will not go hungry, the rest of the world can supply the UK with what it is unable to produce, much of it at a more economical cost.

Already done man.

 

[Hilly]

They’re not the only ones. The National Trust have just bought 9 acres of Exmoor for £1.5 million!

The kennel club flash the cash on farming as well.

 

[B'o'B]

But Clarkson said that farming is screwed, not him. We’re all entitled to have hobbies if we choose to. Remember that he won’t be making his tv programme, or writing his newspaper articles for free either. He’s bought himself a lifestyle with inheritance tax benefits which can extend his career beyond driving cars in various parts of the world.
If, in the meantime, he can highlight to Joe Public what’s going on in the world of UK farming and food production better than Countryfile, AHDB and the NFU combined, then I’m all for it.

The continuation of the post-WW2 era of farming is screwed. 95-99% of our Ag business models are screwed. UK Ag as we know it will be screwed. Hardly surprising as it has all been built up around the certainty of receiving subsidies.
There will be ways to make money with Ag in the UK, it just won't be as we have known it before and we might not like it. Many of us won't want to, or even be able to adapt to it.
The current subs system really doesn't make any logical sense to me, other than it is a result of historic needs and the fact it has been deemed too painful to properly reform on an EU wide scale (and most likely for good reason).
I can see there is national need for complete reform of Ag subs so they actually deliver national benefits alongside food production, it's not that I like the idea of it, or particularly want to leave my comfort zone to that extent. But that is where we have got ourselves. The world of UK Ag is being tipped upside down, and we are not prepared for what's coming, despite the writing being on the wall since the referendum.
Mum asked me what my business plan was for the next 5 years the other day. My response "Managed decline". Until I know some details of trade and regulatory requirements I cannot put any other plan in place without significant investment in assets that seem very unlikely to show me any real return under the current outlook.