Minette Batters on the Radio this morning

[bobk]

To a point....

But her ramblings are are used by the media... Not sure if they believe her??

The demise of @guysmith on tff , shows the disdain the nfu have for farmers

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Bring back the War Ag.

 

[ajd132]

NFU policy is basically based around maximum production and grain as much subsidy as possible, whilst simultaneously ranting about how unfair everything is.
It’s not 1952, utterly useless.

 

[delilah]

She seems to be speaking for the AIC and the British retail consortium, (perhaps their best paying members).

There's the crux of it. The NFU are on a road to nowhere, and remain so until membership is restricted to active primary producers.
(we will continue to pay our subs on the basis that reform of the NFU remains, to my mind, the only game in town).

 

[Grass And Grain]

Minette seems to be concerned about food supply. Keeping supply up.

I understand we don't want our producers to lose out on market share, but we don't want prices dragged down to the point we have no margin.

She didn't want to see tomatoes at £6 a packet, but I'm guessing the producer can't afford to see them at £1.79.

I'd be hopeless doing radio interviews, but Minette maybe did seem to be giving mixed messages.

I got a bit confused what she wanted, but think she was asking for...

• Higher product prices to pay for input inflation
• Lower prices for the consumer
• Continuity of food supply
• More milk production
• She wasn't worried about more imports
• Customers to have access to all the food they need
• Milk had to go up in price because it was below cost of production
• ...then she wanted food to he affordable for the consumer
• ...and production costs to be passed on up the chain
• Wants farmer to get cost increases
• Feed cost increases meant meat prices were below cost of production
• Wants Christmas turkeys to be affordable

Always difficult when you're questioned, but I was getting a very mixed message. I was confused.

 

[steveR]

Minette seems to be concerned about food supply. Keeping supply up.

I understand we don't want our producers to lose out on market share, but we don't want prices dragged down to the point we have no margin.

She didn't want to see tomatoes at £6 a packet, but I'm guessing the producer can't afford to see them at £1.79.

I'd be hopeless doing radio interviews, but Minette maybe did seem to be giving mixed messages.

I got a bit confused what she wanted, but think she was asking for...

• Higher product prices to pay for input inflation
• Lower prices for the consumer
• Continuity of food supply
• More milk production
• She wasn't worried about more imports
• Customers to have access to all the food they need
• Milk had to go up in price because it was below cost of production
• ...then she wanted food to he affordable for the consumer
• ...and production costs to be passed on up the chain
• Wants farmer to get cost increases
• Feed cost increases meant meat prices were below cost of production
• Wants Christmas turkeys to be affordable

Always difficult when you're questioned, but I was getting a very mixed message. I was confused.

So... CAP MK2 in essence??

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Minette seems to be concerned about food supply. Keeping supply up.

I understand we don't want our producers to lose out on market share, but we don't want prices dragged down to the point we have no margin.

She didn't want to see tomatoes at £6 a packet, but I'm guessing the producer can't afford to see them at £1.79.

I'd be hopeless doing radio interviews, but Minette maybe did seem to be giving mixed messages.

I got a bit confused what she wanted, but think she was asking for...

• Higher product prices to pay for input inflation
• Lower prices for the consumer
• Continuity of food supply
• More milk production
• She wasn't worried about more imports
• Customers to have access to all the food they need
• Milk had to go up in price because it was below cost of production
• ...then she wanted food to he affordable for the consumer
• ...and production costs to be passed on up the chain
• Wants farmer to get cost increases
• Feed cost increases meant meat prices were below cost of production
• Wants Christmas turkeys to be affordable

Always difficult when you're questioned, but I was getting a very mixed message. I was confused.

Thanks, I was hoping somebody would comment having listened to it.

I thought it was a rather incoherent whinge without any obvious purpose.

As most farmers aren't members we won't have to pay any attention to her ramblings

This was a very 'soft' interview in one of the best 'prime' slots in the UK to get your points across.
It doesn't matter whether we are members of the NFU, almost every listener will have considered she was speaking on your behalf.
As a farmer, I really have no idea what point she was trying to make but I did hear several opportunities to make some.
The only defence there could be is if the BBC did a hatchet job with the editing but it sounded like a live call to me.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Did she really say farmers passed on some of the increase? I'd like to meet one that has done that please.

Question; Aren't the producers passing on a lot of these increases in prices.....?

Minette; Some of those costs are being passed on.......

 

[Jackov Altraids]

She seems to be speaking for the AIC and the British retail consortium, (perhaps their best paying members).

Farmers must keep producing and food prices must be kept low! How does that work?

The one thing she doesn't say is food prices have to rise "it's going to be too expensive for the consumer" (if they do) is what she actually said.

Can somebody explain what the word farmers is doing in the name of this organisation?

And having listened to this several times now, I get the impression she is only trying to get the government to subsidise the gas for CF. {sponsors of their conference}

 

[Northern territory]

I think some will up production chasing a quick profit and some will most definitely cut production and are already doing so. Farmers have had a bad lot for too long and it’s high time the chickens came home to roost.

 

[bobk]

Question; Aren't the producers passing on a lot of these increases in prices.....?

Minette; Some of those costs are being passed on.......

She hasn't a scooby doo , I got bollocked for mysogyny when she was elected , I was right , hopeless cow

 

[warksfarmer]

I was confused when I heard the interview live, and having listened again I think she was saying;

Farmers must not cut production, maybe increase it.
The government may need to intervene in the gas price.
Farmers have passed on some of the price increase but retailers need to absorb some of the cost.
We don't want to have to pay £5 or £6 for a pack of tomatoes.

Could someone help me as I'm still confused or does this belong in the WTF? thread.

Item starts @ 1:34:34 Minette starts @ 1:35:52

Today - 07/04/2022 - BBC Sounds

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.

www.bbc.co.uk

For anybody that doesn’t know the Nfu is in the pockets of big corporations as they pay the most membership fees. What Batters said on the radio was to protect the corporations and ultimately protect the gravy train she’s in charge of.

Of course she wants farmers to carry on production as normal as that protects the corporations that cover her salary and things like the Nfu annual £21 million wage bill.

Farmer members are now under 15,000 in the Nfu so why would they want to help us! They need to keep pulling the wool over our eyes to protect themselves, their corporate members and the big gravy train riding off the back of agriculture.

Ever single farmer in this country should halve production for harvest 23 and just sit back and watch. It’ll ultimately make us far stronger as an industry and will fit well with the new union that’s on the horizon.

 

[bobk]

For anybody that doesn’t know the Nfu is in the pockets of big corporations as they pay the most membership fees. What Batters said on the radio was to protect the corporations and ultimately protect the gravy train she’s in charge of.

Of course she wants farmers to carry on production as normal as that protects the corporations that cover her salary and things like the Nfu annual £21 million wage bill.

Farmer members are now under 15,000 in the Nfu so why would they want to help us! They need to keep pulling the wool over our eyes to protect themselves, their corporate members and the big gravy train riding off the back of agriculture.

Ever single farmer in this country should halve production for harvest 23 and just sit back and watch. It’ll ultimately make us far stronger as an industry and will fit well with the new union that’s on the horizon.

Top post Lee , and bob on

 

[bobk]

Top post Lee , and bob on

BRC own the nfu , google it .

 

[Grass And Grain]

Bob on. Its this self flalegation attitude that weve got to produce food and its got to be cheap to keep the general public happy thats got us into this mess, do u think the ceo of british gas gives a fuuck about the general public.

So... CAP MK2 in essence??

I really don't know what she was asking for. Discombobulated is my current state of mind.

I think she mainly wanted plentiful food production at a price affordable for the consumer.

I think the aforementioned came over as 80% of importance for Minette, and farmers' profits 20%.

I'd have been 80:20 the other way.

BP or Shell aren't providing petrol at £1.25 per litre to keep petrol affordable for the consumer. No, they've seen the worldwide price go up, so they're having a slice of the pie for their shareholders.

Gas fired power stations won't be selling electric cheap because they want it to be affordable for customers. Gas has gone up, so they are charging more for their leccy to keep making a profit.

 

[bobk]

Bring back the War Ag.

Is that good money

 

[Grass And Grain]

Thanks, I was hoping somebody would comment having listened to it.

I thought it was a rather incoherent whinge without any obvious purpose.


This was a very 'soft' interview in one of the best 'prime' slots in the UK to get your points across.
It doesn't matter whether we are members of the NFU, almost every listener will have considered she was speaking on your behalf.
As a farmer, I really have no idea what point she was trying to make but I did hear several opportunities to make some.
The only defence there could be is if the BBC did a hatchet job with the editing but it sounded like a live call to me.

One point hammered home would have been better imho.

"We need price increases to cover our input inflation"

"Processors and supermarkets must pay more, or we won't be able to supply you"

"Farming is a long production cycle, we can't turn the milk tap back on if there aren't any cows"

"What's the Grocery Code Adjudicator doing to help"

"Due to war and difficulty getting hold of inputs like fertiliser and feed, our feed merchants have called a force majeure situation for our input contracts, so we're doing the same, current forward price contracts must be torn up and renegotiated"

"If this continues, the shelves will be empty within months"

etc.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

What we need is some kind of union for farmers.

 

[tullah]

Tff farmers pulling together could achieve anything. The skys the limit

 

[SilliamWhale]

And having listened to this several times now, I get the impression she is only trying to get the government to subsidise the gas for CF. {sponsors of their conference}

You are being very cynical.

But you have every right to be, the way the NFU have pushed Red Tractor over the interests of and to undermine UK farmers means trust and respect has gone now. Harsh, but fair