SHOULD FARMERS, GROWERS HAVE TO RETAIL THEIR PRODUCE?

[bluebell]

according to mr dyson the cleaner maker billonaire, who owns many thousands of acres, he says that farmers, growers should also be selling to the end user the public, food outlets etc what they produce? well i can see it both ways, one way i see it is if your a dairy farmer its hard enough just running the farm without having the extra burdon of then bottling and retailing the milk with all that that agro entails, on the other hand if you are young and ambicious and are not blessed with a large farm to farm the only way to start is at the bottom by doing it all, like anyone else thats not born with a silver spoon in their mouth? remember that old saying? jerermy clarkson the latest celebrity to get into play farming? had some interesting comments on his try at retailing , he reckoned he was loosing about £500 a month, well he can afford to in the bigger picture he proberley gets paid more than that writing the column in the sunday times, but he had a serious point i think?

https://www.dyson.co.uk/newsroom/overview/features/september-2020/technology-and-farming

Efficient, high-tech agriculture

Farming is not a cottage-industry, or something quaint and nostalgic; efficient, high-technology agriculture holds many of the keys to our future. Sustainable food production and food security are vital to the nation’s health and the nation’s economy, whilst there is also a real opportunity for agriculture to drive a revolution in technology and vice versa.

I’m excited about the future of agriculture, despite the undoubtedly significant challenges that the sector faces. Our farms have been tackling these problems head-on and with increasing pace, finding great opportunities in the process. In recent years we have been investing heavily in getting the basics right – soil quality, infrastructure, new technology, and stewardship. Now we are turning our attention to making the farms work as a business, making them profitable, moving away from subsidies and providing food and energy for consumers. The increasingly symbiotic relationship between our technology business and our farms will, I hope, also yield novel new approaches to drive sustainability and performance in Dyson products, while opening-up new opportunities for the further use of technology on our farms.

“We can begin to use agricultural materials in our products. I can’t tell you how we’re going to do that, but we can already see the way, and that will be interesting.”

Roots

Farming isn’t in my blood, so to speak, but it was part of my childhood as I grew up living in an agricultural community amongst farms and farming families in North Norfolk. My friends lived and breathed farming and they were a fundamental part of my life too. I helped with the harvest, rushed parsley to Campbell’s Soup factory in Kings Lynn, and lugged heavy wet potato sacks as a winter holiday job. I well remember the freezing weather, especially when picking, topping, and tailing Brussel sprouts!

I’d enjoyed working on farms in my younger years, but only more recently did I see the potential to contribute to their development and make new discoveries. Farming, it seemed to me, is similar to engineering and manufacturing: you make things, take pride in what you produce and then you supply consumers. A factory should be well designed, well-built and work most efficiently as a machine, using the latest technology for production. The same applies to farming, all the basics must be right first: drainage, ditches, tracks, hedges, walls, soil quality, weed control, wildflower mix, the best machinery and the best farming plant and buildings. Everything must be of the best quality and tidiest layout.

 

[7610 super q]

Nice idea for a few.....near population. In more rural areas, farm shops could reach saturation point quickly. Also niche markets only remain niche for 18 months before everyone jumps on the bandwagon.
Still, mustn't deter those on here that are " exited about the future ".

 

[davieh3350]

Pay someone commission to sell your stuff.

 

[bluebell]

i try to see things from both sides, my main interest my family did for many years was the hortcultural industry, looking back years ago in the english horticultural industry many attempts had been made at getting growers to cooperate together, but the english dont like the idea for many reasons? anyone on here that knows the Dutch industry would know that dutch growers both big and small have the best cooperation of growers and marketers, exports markets in the world? the growers grow and the retailers markets do the selling?

 

[Highland Mule]

according to mr dyson the cleaner maker billonaire,

You got a quote you can cite for what he actually said? There’s a huge difference between selling our produce to the public and retailing it to them.

 

[Johnnyboxer]

Why not ?

Everyone has to market themselves or their products ....and farmers aren’t any different, I guess

You make or produce something - why not market it too

No point being a price taker, better to be a price maker

Not always easy with the nature of perishable farm products like dairy, but other farm produce isn’t as time critical

 

[Tarw Coch]

i try to see things from both sides, my main interest my family did for many years was the hortcultural industry, looking back years ago in the english horticultural industry many attempts had been made at getting growers to cooperate together, but the english dont like the idea for many reasons? anyone on here that knows the Dutch industry would know that dutch growers both big and small have the best cooperation of growers and marketers, exports markets in the world? the growers grow and the retailers markets do the selling?

@whiterabbit

 

[DrWazzock]

No.

 

[Al R]

i try to see things from both sides, my main interest my family did for many years was the hortcultural industry, looking back years ago in the english horticultural industry many attempts had been made at getting growers to cooperate together, but the english dont like the idea for many reasons? anyone on here that knows the Dutch industry would know that dutch growers both big and small have the best cooperation of growers and marketers, exports markets in the world? the growers grow and the retailers markets do the selling?

Like the wool board then?

 

[7610 super q]

Interesting. Wondering whether Nobby that works on the hoover production line at Dyson's spends the evenings marketing the hoovers. I doubt it.

 

[bobk]

YES THEY SHOULD ....................

 

[robs1]

How Dyson's does he sell direct ? Most go through retailers.
It's a great idea but not practical what we need are some marketing boards called even call it the milk marketing board, of course the successor to that failed because of the short term greed of some dairy farmers

 

[Sid]

Know someone who has 2 milk vending machines.
Its a full time job keeping them going!

 

[delilah]

I'm unsure what the OP is referring to; direct sales, or collective advertising ?

Direct sales is just middle England pleasuring itself. It will only ever account for, at absolute max, 5% of total food sales.
Collective advertising, certainly. If only to correct some of the mis-information regarding farmings impact on the environment, because no-one else seems capable of doing it for us.

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Car manufacturers build cars but don't sell them . They have dealers who do that . I produce beef but I don't sell it . I have markets and abattoirs to do that . If all the farmers local to me started up farm shops then where are all the customers going to come from ? Not every one wants to bypass a butcher or supermarket and venture out of town to buy produce . It's a limited market .

 

[davieh3350]

Interesting. Wondering whether Nobby that works on the hoover production line at Dyson's spends the evenings marketing the hoovers. I doubt it.

He doesn’t run the business.

 

[deleted user 436632456]

The idea of a Farm shop and selling direct to the customer is such a romantic prospect.
But in reality... they really are for a very small percentage.
I'm always so disappointed when I go to farm shops that are "Artisan", yea nice for Sunday dinner or a special occasion but overpriced for normal mid-week eating.

 

[davieh3350]

The idea of a Farm shop and selling direct to the customer is such a romantic prospect.
But in reality... they really are for a very small percentage.
I'm always so disappointed when I go to farm shops that are "Artisan", yea nice for Sunday dinner or a special occasion but overpriced for normal mid-week eating.

You don’t need to run a farm shop to sell direct

 

[deleted user 436632456]

You don’t need to run a farm shop to sell direct

Yes fair point
But if you counted all the hours and expense just to sell direct, you would wonder is it worth it?

 

[bluebell]

the quote i cited was dyson in the times paper on saturday ?