Farming going down with hardly a whimper...

[Cowabunga]

I have done the right thing for my family. That doesn’t mean I want to see the rest of you sold down the river.

Put him on your ignore list. He is one of the resident trolls. Possibly a failed or wannabe farmer himself.

 

[Johnnyboxer]

I can think of only one agricultural business that I personally know that through tinkering with a diversification 20 odd years ago is now in a position where they could sell their output twice over and are buying an additional farm on the strength of the diversification and see traditional arable farming as and I quote "hopeless"

Not the first time I have heard that in the last 10 years, either

Some ‘diversified farmers’ often mention it often... as hopeless

 

[The Seeker]

I sympathise with your situation, and your reply is clearly heart felt and genuine but it also clearly demonstrates the validity of the quote, if we turn your response round you will hopefully see me point. You did everything they asked and feel betrayed. If a friend betrayed you having done everything he asked would you carry on doing all he asked or would you stop do all that is asked and start doing what you think is right. I do understand the dilemma, 40 or 50 years of slippery slope type policies towards agriculture leave us feeling under valued by the government. To not take the Government shilling would be very difficult, but I think it is the difficult solutions that are the ones that deserve most effort to solve as they will bring most reward both physically and mentally. This past policy of acquiescence is and will come home to roost. I am trying to plan and develop enterprises / systems that keep the govt, assurance bodies, planners etc as far away as possible. Small progress so far but tinkering is the essence of progress. How many of us effectively tinker ( R & D) in a structured way?
I can think of only one agricultural business that I personally know that through tinkering with a diversification 20 odd years ago is now in a position where they could sell their output twice over and are buying an additional farm on the strength of the diversification and see traditional arable farming as and I quote "hopless"

Its ok, I don't feel betrayed, this just seems to the the way some people want it they want the product but don't want the guilt of producing, as far as im aware wether the carbon is in the uk or Australia or America seems either or neither to me. I'd like to live in a nice countryside, tbh i feel looking out my window l already do. i work 6.5 days of the week i guess and my farm is well kept and my sfp is distributed amongst local merchants to keep things rolling i take a wage and invest most of the rest back in via upgrades, luckily i have diversified , well actually 20 years ago and now run a second business alongside a farm, i feel I am in a fortunate position but as much as i worry for myself i worry way more for the whole system that will be gone for good

 

[4course]

I'd you cant stand the heat get out of the kitchen, the solution is in the farmers hands, for dairy it started when the mmb was ended, dairy farmers all had the chance to join MM and keep the upper hand, too many sold out their own future for a penny a litre, I saw the end game and gave up in 98, sold my quota for a fortune and diversified into non food production, quite a few round here now sell their milk direct, there is a bright future for those farmers who look beyond their own gate. Those that moan and cry are finished unless they get a grip

you are correct in this , Ive just had our annual review with our bank and having done the same for the last 40 years with a 1 yr expectation and a 5 yr plan ever since starting out .My main point was that we are going to continue to push the business along a route that within 5 years we are aiming to replace the agri payments / acre by at least if not more than the current payments through the continued growth of non mainstream commodity production . In response was told that is where they are trying to point their customers .We according to our contact are one of the few in the last couple of years who have actually said it to them as a sensible route as they dont think the new proposed schemes are going to help a business develop and overcome the situation going forward.

 

[Ashtree]

Only the blindest of the blind UK farmers, would have believed that Brexit would be good for their business. They had only to look back at the record in Europe of pretty much all UK governments over the past forty years. Further to that, a simple back of a napkin calculation, gave farmers and rural dwellers a very strong clue, as to their electoral importance and relevance. 3% of the electoral vote, sure don’t give any confidence that London centric politicians, give a sheet about farming.
But TFF is plastered with posts from farmers saying they valued “sovereignty“ over their business and way of life.
Well bless my soul, but ain’t that real patriotic.....

 

[MrNoo]

Poor old farmers.
Not made a penny in years.
Yet £50 - £100 k is fekk all.
My heart bleeds.

It is in relation to other business owners who get paid off, civil servants get huge payoffs then get taken back on day rates of £1-3000/day. How do I know? I know a chap who is in procurement for the navy, he's retired at 55, paid his mortgage off and is on day rate same working as hours as before. He once told me how much his department spent on coffee/cakes/tea/biscuits etc a year and it was staggering, thought he was joking.

 

[beefandsleep]

I would be more concerned with my qualification for ag inheritance tax relief if I took the retirement bung. Have the details for this scheme been published or is it just an idea being floated at this stage?

 

[MrNoo]

I would be more concerned with my qualification for ag inheritance tax relief if I took the retirement bung. Have the details for this scheme been published or is it just an idea being floated at this stage?

How's it going to be taxed too??? But yes IHT side would have huge ramifications

 

[turbo]

I told you loud and clear it was rubbish back then. Yet a minority still believe it.

As I have previously said, we are extremely fortunate that the Chinese meat situation is increasing prices at the moment. That won't last very long. Maybe two years if we are very lucky.

I wonder if Paterson and Eustace ever actually believed the crap they told us? If they did, have they any shame?

If that’s how you feel Boris is giving you a way out, I suggest that you take it because nothing in the future will be as good as the sunny upland of the eu in your mind!

 

[Cowabunga]

If that’s how you feel Boris is giving you a way out, I suggest that you take it because nothing in the future will be as good as the sunny upland of the eu in your mind!

Oh no! Not another one.

 

[turbo]

Oh no! Not another one.

I happen to see a very bright future for agriculture in the uk

 

[Henarar]

I happen to see a very bright future for agriculture in the uk

Is it going to stop raining then

 

[turbo]

Is it going to stop raining then

End of next week

 

[Henarar]

End of next week

Bright future then

 

[turbo]

Bright future then

Shorts on as well as the shades

 

[Henarar]

England To Close Down 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | The Mash Report | "Formerly one of the world's favourite countries, England has announced plans to close next week." 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿😂 (via BBC Two) | By The Daily Mash | Facebook

4M views, 16K likes, 777 loves, 1.8K comments, 37K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Daily Mash: "Formerly one of the world's favourite countries, England has announced plans to close next...

fb.watch

 

[flyonthewall]

Blood curdling to watch, sort of response one would expect of a laird clearing crofters off of the Highlands in the 1850s from Johnson’s mocking of Blackford. One would have expected him to have learnt a degree of compassion with his fellows after his near death to COVID, but alas no. MPs are elected by the electorate to represent their interests, what shed of evidence is there Johnson has uttered or implemented one policy that does that for any person, other than his chums, in this country. As a unionist and broadly conservative I can still well understand why the Scots are muttering calls for independence if this is the mockery they see from Westminster - it reeks of contempt. I can’t imagine Johnson being welcomed up in the Highlands on one of his camping “jaunts”.

 

[Hilly]

Blood curdling to watch, sort of response one would expect of a laird clearing crofters off of the Highlands in the 1850s from Johnson’s mocking of Blackford. One would have expected him to have learnt a degree of compassion with his fellows after his near death to COVID, but alas no. MPs are elected by the electorate to represent their interests, what shed of evidence is there Johnson has uttered or implemented one policy that does that for any person, other than his chums, in this country. As a unionist and broadly conservative I can still well understand why the Scots are muttering calls for independence if this is the mockery they see from Westminster - it reeks of contempt. I can’t imagine Johnson being welcomed up in the Highlands on one of his camping “jaunts”.

Blackford deserves everything he gets plus more the way that nasty git behaves total
Scum of the earth yon that as far as I’m concerned is not welcome anywhere you can bloody have him.

 

[An Gof]

Poor old farmers.
Not made a penny in years.
Yet £50 - £100 k is fekk all.
My heart bleeds.

Probably why you are still living in a cave

 

[flyonthewall]

I don’t generally follow politicians, so I don’t know a great deal about the chap, I imagine like many politicians he’s got fingers in pies though..... What he articulates is that marginal crofters are about to have their livings deprived from them by decisions made by their “accountable” politicians, Johnson is being held to account and this is his response for you. I know who I’d want representing my interests as a crofter...... This is about our livings and our family’s life’s.