I ask this in all seriousness, what with the rising cost of compund feed(( just been told its going up 15 pound a ton) all the agro of looking after the animals, called the vet out, cost best part of 300 pounds how do you make any money out of it? Also got a big load of agro with company called wateraid who took over from essex and suffolk bill has gone right up?
is it worth it?
- Thread starter bluebell
- Start date
well that's just the last bloody strawAnd don’t forget the straw
- Location
- Devon
Now that is the question.....
Every farmer needs to look at every part of their business and calculate the answer.
Subsidy has blinkered most of us and I think the future is going to be to stop or collaborate with other farmers where you can each concentrate on the part you can do best and most efficiently.
Every farmer needs to look at every part of their business and calculate the answer.
Subsidy has blinkered most of us and I think the future is going to be to stop or collaborate with other farmers where you can each concentrate on the part you can do best and most efficiently.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
No it's not really worth it. Never has been, never will be.
I was reading a book about beef production in bed last night. It was written in about 1950. It said that a fattening bullock would be lucky to generate a profit of 1 old pence a day, but the muck was useful.
Nothing changes. It's a hobby, large or small, and if you scrape a living you are doing alright.
I was reading a book about beef production in bed last night. It was written in about 1950. It said that a fattening bullock would be lucky to generate a profit of 1 old pence a day, but the muck was useful.
Nothing changes. It's a hobby, large or small, and if you scrape a living you are doing alright.
Timmy_45
Member
Btw, ask some office drone whose been sitting at a desk all day, doing a boring shi**y job, just about breaking even after commuting, taxes, etc which is 90% of the 'professional' working public if they think there job/life is "really worth it". Definite sense sometimes with farmers thinking that the grass is always greener and everyone else ( in other occupations ) has loads of money.
The grass always looks greener on the other side
For all the aggro the freedom of farm life takes some beating. I left the family farm many years ago and spent my life in construction. Looking back I know what I would rather have done with my life.
Totally agree. What looks like a better life is probably a flash car on the knock, a house on an estate mortgaged up to the hilt and a hum drum existence where all you ever dream about is being a farmer away from it all.
what i sort of mean are you better off money wise just getting the payments and either letting the grass or ranching? or keep on working for the vets and feed companies because they seem the only ones making any money? its different if you have no livestock and you arnt making anymoney? keeping animals whever you have 20 200 or 2000 is a seven day a week job, you can see why the large arable farms packed up keeping livestock, noone to pay once drilled up have the winter off, and basically sit on yout backside in cabs all day wheres you still have a lot of phsical jobs you have to do when keeping livestock?
Change the way you farm.
Yes, I see your point, we get to live in a nice house, in a nice spot etc, etc.....but....there's an awfully high percentage of the population on £100k + , so even allowing for tax etc, that's a far cry from us peasants breaking even ?
also another point i own the land, how the hell does anyone make a return on renting land, doing it as a hobby is one thing doing it because you like it is another, but when it becomes more, than that, and you dont even break even do you think you should work to be worse off finatially? Yes farming is a nice lifestyle yes you get great enjoyment from a good crop, or if the animals are doing well and if the farm looks nice with all the hedges neatly trimmed, but it all has to be paid for?
Nearly
Member
- Location
- North of York
If you're asking the question then you either need to ignore the money for this year and just bat on, or make changes so you are happy with the situation.
Can't beat nature (or robbing barsteward suppliers)
Can't beat nature (or robbing barsteward suppliers)
- Location
- Devon
The average is way below that. More like £35,000 if you're lucky in most cases. The average GP is only (?) on £90,000 so that £100,000 is a tiny proportion outside London.
Timmy_45
Member
Really? @4% of the working population earn at some stage in their lives over £100k, that's not throughout their working lives but usually a peak towards the end/prime.
Given 96% of people don't earn what you consider lots of people to be on, and that further more 85% of the population don't even get over the 40% tax rate ( £45,000 ) a year level, I have to say you exactly personify the attitude within farming that I was talking about.
Well, take the average quoted above, £35k , still be left with £20k to spend after tax ? Better than a lot on here I would imagine
And yes, I know, we get to live in a nice house........