As I have mentioned before the only way to secure the future for smaller livestock farmers is to retain the current SFP system but restrict payments to the first 100 hectares payable to all farmers with any ELMS projects in addition to this, without this security not many smaller livestock & hill farmers will have a viable future.I'm a realist about my own business.
I produce -primarily- suckled calves, hairy yearling stores, and store hill lambs.
(The icing on the farming cake is sale of pedigree/draft breeding stock, where my very hungry hill and haphazard farming skills make my stock fairly sought)
I cannot for the life of me see how I'm going to, even this year, top £100k in stock sales.
Without subs, my farm business would absolutely have to be kept to 'dog and stick'...which in turn would knock production back a bit, see a steady collapse in infrastructure, and put people around me out of work.
It doesn't matter much to me how Janet or anyone else dresses it up.
With those payments, I'll keep the cow numbers up.....without em they'll plummet.
I think there is a food crisis coming...i don't see how it can be avoided.
I take it your (possible) fantastic year this year will partially ride on high prices for produce grown on inputs bought before the jump in price?
Certainly the grown up (arable) farmers I'm talking to locally are in that boat, but already scratching their heads about how much to commit for 2023.
DEFRA should be knocking at their door right now and asking. Are they? Are they fudge.
For the record, I personally couldn't care two hoots about the fate of those who cannot afford to eat - wherever they are.
My concern is for the social unrest and upset various scenarios conjure.
Is this really what we want?