- Location
- Darlington
I bloody hope not, but you're probably right.boom and bust, just wait
I bloody hope not, but you're probably right.boom and bust, just wait
The cattle are mostly native Sussex and while not really a commercial operation as the cows are almost pets to them,
It should be aimed more towards smaller units if you want the family farms to survive, if not then you are right. It always used to be, ewe premium was paid for first 500 ewes then half rate after that.Why? Support should be distributed fairly regarldless of size.
Better than what we get.Hardly enough to encourage folk into mass production tho is it .
The continent kept headage payments and front loaded the first 50 sucklers , 500 ewes and 50 Hc.I don't think the NFU caused abandoned headage payments. They and Scot Gov tried to put more onto headage to keep suckler numbers up to a critical mass but could only do it via the beef calf scheme ( and ewe Hogg scheme) but EU rules did not allow more to be transferred from the area based scheme and Englandshire saw it as anti-competitive.
That was my understanding of the situation.
I see subsidy as a way we can compete on world prices and keep people farming. I see it as mainly a social support as it means thousands of jobs supporting farming can survive in rural towns and villages. I have just counted 25 companies which our modest operation pays every year. They are actually surviving on grass as that is the basis for all our income. Without those efficient cash converters -livestock - the grass would support no jobs.
They call it profit, but they have a very short sighted and shallow understanding of the term.That’s not been my experience,large estates are run in such a way that maximises profit at the expense of everything else. Your smaller units will have far more biodiversity simply because the farmer knows his ground much better and will have a diverse rotation to suit rather than the mono culture in the drive for profit in the large estate.
But the big issues of the day are the environment and carbon capture. Small farms with permanent pasture should be very important for this so why shouldn't they receive help. Windmills, biomass boilers, ground source heat pumps , solar panels etc. all doWhy should the government subside someones hobby Frank? Can you give them my number and I'll rent it?
How much are you paying ?Why should the government subside someones hobby Frank? Can you give them my number and I'll rent it?
Completely disagree.Don't try and pretend that the cap has done nothing but harm to farmers, consumers or the environment.
No, only in the uk. Here you can't go contracting and farm unless you pay cotisations on both. If you have a job and farm, again double cotisations.Yes but as above, it has allowed recreational production which ultimately has benefitted everyone else in the supply chain (including the inputs side) except farmers.
The NFU ?The continent kept headage payments and front loaded the first 50 sucklers , 500 ewes and 50 Hc.
What stopped you doing the same ?
It’s a total b***ache at times but our system is adapted to be as labour light as reasonably possible. It provides a nice place to live, raise a family and engage in the culture which we both came from without the stress and pressure of relying on it for a living.I never understand why folk with good jobs farm on the side as well , must be very awkward , be better just helping another farmer to fore fill farming desire and ditch all hassle .
Its only changing because farmers or workers cant afford the housesWhy? Agriculture and land use is changing as it has done so many times in the past.
no direct subsidy for cattle or sheep eitherThere are plenty around me, pigs and poultry are thriving at the moment.
Surprisingly 2'industries with no direct subsidies.
Why should the government subside someones hobby Frank? Can you give them my number and I'll rent it?
I think many of you have misunderstood what and why I started this thread.
@Formatted how much are you going to pay in rent for this land?
How far are you prepared to drive at least once every day and more when calving to check the stock?
How much do you think you will need in capital to buy the stock and have the minimum amount of machinery you will require to run this 50 acres?
The present farmers have kept on a family owned block of land and have I believe had a good balance of producing suckler beef at a small profit up to now. They have kept up the fences and hedges and maintained the land in good order as well as having work outside of the farm which I say good luck to them.
They are not looking for handouts but the reality is that the costs are now so high that when the BPS and small environmental payment disappears then the farm will be making far too great a loss to continue.
However it doesn't really matter if it is 50 acres or 500 acres in a similar type of farming on marginal but important land for the environment, it cannot be made to work unless the price of beef rises significantly (unlikely) or there is another scheme that supports the environmental benefits to give enough income. These small farms do perform an important function to help keep the rural economy working.
Yeah daft answer really since SFP. Oopsno direct subsidy for cattle or sheep either
Its rather different now as all rural areas are now commutable and tenants are bring outbid by ill thought out govt subsidies.The same has been happening for thousands of years hasn't it?
Farms have been getting larger and into the hands of fewer individuals.
Nothing new.