Is The Whole Job Just Completely Buggered?

[Hilly]

LFA??? That’s grade one arable land to me!

Me as well !!

 

[livestock 1]

All farms around here have a bit of good and a bit of bad that's how they were sectioned off . Makes sense really. Bit of moorland bit of hill and bit of flat land to grow their winter grub
We would be 2 weeks later than you lowland easy farmers

I’m not lowland I’m afraid. Mines all pretty poor land especially compared to that

 

[egbert]

Not sure I said about not having the cash but that is very possible more not spending it if you can do the job yourself cheaper and perhaps better
Its easy to just get someone else to do jobs then complain there is nothing in farming, well I don't spose there is anything in farming if your not actually doing any work yourself
Its like someone saying that they farm 20 thousand ewes and when it comes to it they get contractors like @unlacedgecko in to do it, in that case they are not farming them themselves just managing them, I spose they could get a contract manger in as well then they could be farming all those sheep and never actually do anything but it would look impressive LOL
With scale can come the extra money swirling around to just get folk in to do a job, throw some money at it, buy new on the promise its cheaper in the long run, run round like a idiot making everyone else money, naa I think I will stick to putting up cheap fencing myself, I wonder if it will be still up when all the posh expensive ones have fallen down

I am not knocking contractors they are the salt of the earth, just making a point

Hmm....that raises a question.
So is James Dyson, or HM the Queen, a farmer? cos I'd bet neither drive many stakes in/clear drains/shepherd ewes themselves.

Comes down to time and cash with me.
If someone else can do the job better/more efficiently than me, and/or i can earn more per hour doing something else...they get the gig, I'll do something else...there's never a shortage of jobs to be done.
Obviously, rationalising it to the fiscal output of the farming operation is where it all comes unravelled....i'd be better off not farming at all.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Me as well !!

ADAS as was rent it for Blight Trials , they said it's the best site in the country for blight

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Back on the whole “ is it all buggered” question, I’ve just spoken to a well known finance agent. He has been in the job years and covers a wide area providing finance fir everything from implements to tractors to buildings to farms. Said he’s been flat out lately, really busy.

Is that a good thing that farmers think there’s a good future to invest in, or a bad thing that they can’t afford to buy much outright so are putting kit of finance?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Back on the whole “ is it all buggered” question, I’ve just spoken to a well known finance agent. He has been in the job years and covers a wide area providing finance fir everything from implements to tractors to buildings to farms. Said he’s been flat out lately, really busy.

Is that a good thing that farmers think there’s a good future to invest in, or a bad thing that they can’t afford to buy much outright so are putting kit of finance?

End of the tax year they would be busy

 

[Cab-over Pete]

He did say that, but even taking that into account he was especially busy.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Arable farmers must have had Stonker of a year

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Back on the whole “ is it all buggered” question, I’ve just spoken to a well known finance agent. He has been in the job years and covers a wide area providing finance fir everything from implements to tractors to buildings to farms. Said he’s been flat out lately, really busy.

Is that a good thing that farmers think there’s a good future to invest in, or a bad thing that they can’t afford to buy much outright so are putting kit of finance?

It'd be interesting to know what the finance is secured against, Pete?

It could be good or bad - finance is just another input, and a fairly crucial one for many (myself included, as it's a lot of my own money to have tied up, it could be doing better at most things TBH) however if it's only buying time then I'd be worried.

There's an awful lot of stuff I see that really weighs rural businesses down, spirals definitely can go in either direction.

I personally think, in answer to your OP, that the job is buggered for some and others will capitalise - capitalism vs socialism, they no longer help each other

 

[Wombat]

Arable farmers must have had Stonker of a year

Was a good year all round here, shame last spring was wet but glorious weather for the rest of the year. Everything loved it, crops, cattle and me

 

[livestock 1]

He did say that, but even taking that into account he was especially busy.

Any finance for lime??

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Any finance for lime??

The EU stopped that .

That's first on my list of wants when we get out . Bring back the lime sub !!

 

[livestock 1]

The EU stopped that .

That's first on my list of wants when we get out . Bring back the lime sub !!

I was going to say that most of my neighbors don’t ever put any lime on. Even the better end of farmers that buy tonnes of fert. I was told years ago if ph is one point out up to 50% of the fert can’t be used by the plant.

 

[livestock 1]

The EU stopped that .

That's first on my list of wants when we get out . Bring back the lime sub !!

It was 80% in the 80s with Adas grant schemes if my memory serves me well. Gone totally the opposite way now with stewardship schemes not liking lime

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I was going to say that most of my neighbors don’t ever put any lime on. Even the better end of farmers that buy tonnes of fert. I was told years ago if ph is one point out up to 50% of the fert can’t be used by the plant.

the plant wont survive long term you just end up with a field of low producing weed type grasses which is what stewardship want to see

 

[Hilly]

the plant wont survive long term you just end up with a field of low producing weed type grasses which is what stewardship want to see

Cant beat correct ph level , more grass early spring which is when its in desperate need on most livestock farms.

 

[ollie989898]

Cant beat correct ph level , more grass early spring which is when its in desperate need on most livestock farms.

I agree, with the pH sorted grass starts faster in spring and regrows better.

 

[DRC]

The EU stopped that .

That's first on my list of wants when we get out . Bring back the lime sub !!

The EU gave us good subsidy to spend as we wanted. If some farmers need telling to buy lime or would only buy it with a specific subsidy, then they don’t deserve to be farming.
What makes you think that our government will feather bed us with lime grants .
Throwing the baby out with the bath water in my opinion . Shutting off the biggest tariff free market on our doorstep and the power that the collective European farmers gave us in getting support.
Good luck with those little welsh lambs when the support has all gone.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

The EU gave us good subsidy to spend as we wanted. If some farmers need telling to buy lime or would only buy it with a specific subsidy, then they don’t deserve to be farming.
What makes you think that our government will feather bed us with lime grants .
Throwing the baby out with the bath water in my opinion . Shutting off the biggest tariff free market on our doorstep and the power that the collective European farmers gave us in getting support.
Good luck with those little welsh lambs when the support has all gone.

The government as already said they will being back deficiency payments if lamb prices get hit so your project fear dont work on me I'm afraid
As for Lime sub
They paid toward land improvement seed drainage and lime
Against the EU paying headage on Broken Mouthed Screw Ewes . Please dont attempt to defend that. Along with the mountains of rotting butter that went to power stations

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I hope the lime subsidy doesn’t return, that’s a certain fact.

Good farmers recognise the need for it. I’ve little interest in working for people who see no value in it but will gladly take it if it’s more or less free.

But mostly, I dont want to see it subbed because all and sundry will want to buy a spreader, chuck it about for bugger all and spoil the job. Plus, we will see a return to the money grabbing salesman who recommends and sells way too much feeling smug that he hasn’t really cost the farmer much, just the government.

It’s taken me and many other lime suppliers a long time to shake that reputation off. My Dad was as straight as an arrow and when he started in the mid 80s that’s what set him apart from the thieves who were still peddling way too much per acre.