Prime Ministers open letter to farmers

[Grass And Grain]

Taking points 5 and 6 together as you have done, and spelling it out....

Sow stalls - if production standards are that important to us, and food standards are important to us.....why do we allow food sold in the UK to be produced in sow stalls abroad?

Same for eggs from battery cages.

Clearly the action of allowing those into the UK shows that this country doesn't care about UK food standards.....or production standards, and flies in the face of the words of the PM.

It does, yes, it flies in the face of the PM.

He's said we'll protect food standards in the UK (by not importing from lower standard stuff), but that's exactly what we're doing right now, and have been for many years.

He's talking nonsense.

 

[DaveGrohl]

He’s a windbag. There’s no substance there.

No chlorinated chicken. Not now, not ever.

No one can make that claim. To do so would be absurd. And yet he’s done it.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Er, Rishi, we all drink chlorinated water every day in this country.

 

[Steevo]

Er, Rishi, we all drink chlorinated water every day on this country.

Not Rishi! He's one step ahead of everyone else....

 

[Huno]

Er, Rishi, we all drink chlorinated water every day on this country.

not all of us humble

 

[Huno]

He’s a windbag. There’s no substance there.

No chlorinated chicken. Not now, not ever.

No one can make that claim. To do so would be absurd. And yet he’s done it.

who cares about chlorine.. its the stingy fast breed protein called chicken that is the problem

 

[wrenbird]

It does, yes, it flies in the face of the PM.

He's said we'll protect food standards in the UK (by not importing from lower standard stuff), but that's exactly what we're doing right now, and have been for many years.

He's talking nonsense.

He’s a windbag. There’s no substance there.

No chlorinated chicken. Not now, not ever.

No one can make that claim. To do so would be absurd. And yet he’s done it.

I wonder if Rishi has read ‘his’ letter, or just trusted the flunky that actually wrote it to say nothing of substance, stick to the usual platitudes and not say anything that could actually mean the government has to do something
beyond meaningless words and photo ops in the garden of no.10.

 

[NickIslwyn]

At the end of the day UK farmers seem to be unique in having so many within their ranks who have voted or argued for receiving less money from the taxpayer. There's a naive assumption this would would be made up for by reductions in regulations, farm advice, grants etc. when regulations will never be relieved to any extent and are more likely to be increased (as has happened since Brexit) And would any such liberalising moves really be worth hundreds of pounds per hectare of farmed land (i.e. make up for the BPS cuts)? I've never come across any industry so willing to swallow reductions in funding. Doctors, nurses, judges etc. etc. are all fighting for more funding while so many farmers have a pacifistic/fatalistic view or blind faith in politicians who keep shafting us by selling our industry down the river. A cursory comparison of how they vote on trade deals and what they tell you makes it obvious who to trust. It wouldn't happen in France, Ireland etc. So many have bought the pig in a poke. Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori? Not for our next farming generation!

 

[Hilly]

Sow stalls - if production standards are that important to us, and food standards are important to us.....why do we allow food sold in the UK to be produced in sow stalls abroad?

Same for eggs from battery cages.

Clearly the action of allowing those into the UK shows that this country doesn't care about UK food standards.....or production standards, and flies in the face of the words of the PM.

The British pig farmer certainly has a raw deal been under cut sub standard foreign imports , as one pig farmer said to me the public want pork produced the way we now do yet they go to the shops and vote with their wallet for european pork ,,, out of sight out of mind about sums up this country .

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I think the main point would be, don't insist a UK producer has to meet a standard that you are not willing or able to ensure a similar imported product doesn't meet.
If something needs to be banned or a standard met, it should be universal.
Any less is hypocrisy, exporting issues and unfair.
Given the mis-balance of power between 'the cartel' and the average producer, marketing boards are certainly something that should be considered if only to do the job the 'groceries code adjudicator' has wholly failed to do.

I don't think your PM would know what you're talking about.

Unfair, well, that is one way of looking at it.

I can shoot a possum to help spread TB and I'd think it unfair if I was presented a summons to a British court to be put on trial for shooting a badger.
But that view is based on how irrelevant it is that I be subject to British groupthink about a serious public health matter

But to automatically assume that the rest of the world should comply with British Standard on every matter, well that is one for the joke thread if ever there was.
Even you guys are awake to the rules not making a difference.

 

[Farma Parma]

And the alternative is ?

There isnt one thats the trouble... Spoil the ballot is about the size of it next time.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Taking points 5 and 6 together as you have done, and spelling it out....

Sow stalls - if production standards are that important to us, and food standards are important to us.....why do we allow food sold in the UK to be produced in sow stalls abroad?

Same for eggs from battery cages.

Clearly the action of allowing those into the UK shows that this country doesn't care about UK food standards.....or production standards, and flies in the face of the words of the PM.

Because commodities can be made into food, but food isn't necessarily a commodity.
The dissonance comes from the assumption that the two terms mean the same thing.

If we can be clear we're talking about the rules of engagement pertaining to commodity production... this could be extended to any other commodity currently being mined, and available on the world market.

What would you consider before buying fuel, a sheet of aluminium, or indeed any raw product that doesn't come from a farm?

It really comes back to the price, consistency, and availability.
Not what rules the miners have, what their living quarters are like, etc

I can see why it is problematic to producers who are spending more than they make, but that is simple budgeting / risk management stuff.
Last one out, turns off the lights

 

[Henarar]

I don't think your PM would know what you're talking about.

Unfair, well, that is one way of looking at it.

I can shoot a possum to help spread TB and I'd think it unfair if I was presented a summons to a British court to be put on trial for shooting a badger.
But that view is based on how irrelevant it is that I be subject to British groupthink about a serious public health matter

But to automatically assume that the rest of the world should comply with British Standard on every matter, well that is one for the joke thread if ever there was.
Even you guys are awake to the rules not making a difference.

Don't think that is what he said, more like the rest of the word can do what they bloody like just don't expect to ship it here.