Should George Eustice be removed as Secretary of State?

[The Seeker]

We can’t simply not order or not order our products from China , this takes years to produce a crop of any kind. Tbh I’m so ready to quit it’s unreal

 

[roscoe erf]

I'd vote yes, but then I can't think of anyone better to replace him with

Dave smith

 

[DaveGrohl]

If you want to have a go at someone, look at who is selling at or below the cost of production and ask them why.

Production costs are rising faster than what we are producing. The buyers don't want to pay any more, so we let it go at the old price. When it runs short, they might pay more (if they can't import).

Isn't this a straightforward market supply and demand situation?

Why is it George's fault?

Please don't say "feed the nation" or "starving people round the world". Farmer's cash flow is our responsibility not his.

Remember Debenhams or Woollies?

Who’s saying "it’s all George’s fault"? The problem is that what comes out of his mouth is so utterly devoid of intelligent thought and awareness that’s it’s painful at times. That’s certainly my view anyway. Having said that, who’d want to be a politician? The sheer scale and number of problems manifesting in the last year or two are off the scale. Several of them are contradicting their perceived view of their world and their daft policies all at once. Awks.

 

[JP1]

If you want to have a go at someone, look at who is selling at or below the cost of production and ask them why.

Production costs are rising faster than what we are producing. The buyers don't want to pay any more, so we let it go at the old price. When it runs short, they might pay more (if they can't import).

Isn't this a straightforward market supply and demand situation?

Why is it George's fault?

Please don't say "feed the nation" or "starving people round the world". Farmer's cash flow is our responsibility not his.

Remember Debenhams or Woollies?

That's fine if you work in a vacuum. But George COULD choose to do some things:

1. Investigate monopolistic, dominant and planning practices by major supermarkets
2. Redress the situation whereby small abattoirs are no longer viable due to the unavailability / costs of OVS (My word surely he could hail it as a Brexit bonus to reverse it)
3. Investigate and then enforce legal processes to force pig processors to honour production contracts with pig producers
4. Create a temporary fix for pig processors to remove the level of English requirement for a skilled abattoir worker to be equal to a doctor
5. Re-visit the Parrish Amendment of the Agriculture Bill whipped by the Cons and voted against by him, Gove, and all the other Con MP's making it ILLEGAL to import food produced in other countries that did not meet UK legal requirements on UK farmers

And that's just to start

My fellow cereal growers can more adequately explain (again) the Dead Tractor UK cartel compared with boat loads of imports

When you've digested that lot, let me know and I'll write some more

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Who’s saying "it’s all George’s fault"? The problem is that what comes out of his mouth is so utterly devoid of intelligent thought and awareness that’s it’s painful at times. That’s certainly my view anyway. Having said that, who’d want to be a politician? The sheer scale and number of problems manifesting in the last year or two are off the scale. Several of them are contradicting their perceived view of their world and their daft policies all at once. Awks.

The title is "should he be sacked?"...

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

That's fine if you work in a vacuum. But George COULD choose to do some things:

1. Investigate monopolistic, dominant and planning practices by major supermarkets
2. Redress the situation whereby small abattoirs are no longer viable due to the unavailability / costs of OVS (My word surely he could hail it as a Brexit bonus to reverse it)
3. Investigate and then enforce legal processes to force pig processors to honour production contracts with pig producers
4. Create a temporary fix for pig processors to remove the level of English requirement for a skilled abattoir worker to be equal to a doctor
5. Re-visit the Parrish Amendment of the Agriculture Bill whipped by the Cons and voted against by him, Gove, and all the other Con MP's making it ILLEGAL to import food produced in other countries that did not meet UK legal requirements on UK farmers

And that's just to start

My fellow cereal growers can more adequately explain (again) the Dead Tractor UK cartel compared with boat loads of imports

When you've digested that lot, let me know and I'll write some more

Some very good points, which just demonstrate how little the powers that be think or care about farming or food.

We're on our own.

 

[DaveGrohl]

The title is "should he be sacked?"...

Indeed. The title is not is it all George's fault? Different question.

 

[JP1]

From today’s Pig World

 

[ploughman1963]

Slightly off-topic sorry, but did anyone else see the exchange between Neil Parish and Boris at the EFRA (?) committee the other day when Parish had to explain how food production was reliant on fertiliser production and that whilst we had two plants in the UK, one was not operating? Boris admitted that he wasnt aware that was the case and went on to bumble about getting his muckspreader out! I really was gobsmacked!!

 

[JP1]

Slightly off-topic sorry, but did anyone else see the exchange between Neil Parish and Boris at the EFRA (?) committee the other day when Parish had to explain how food production was reliant on fertiliser production and that whilst we had two plants in the UK, one was not operating? Boris admitted that he wasnt aware that was the case and went on to bumble about getting his muckspreader out! I really was gobsmacked!!

Yes and admitted down one of the cul de sac way of speaking that his grandparents were farmers and not that good at the job. Well if that's the case why didn't you get the point of the ongoing pig rollover crisis and spent a fortnight stating "I'm sorry to inform you the pigs were going to die anyway". I'll never forgive him for that one

 

[wrenbird]

Yes, saw that, didn’t do blood pressure much good, Boris treated all Neil Parishs questions and points about food security and production as joke.

 

[ollie989898]

Lets be honest, did anyone expect any different from the current crop of politicians? They've been bad and getting worse since before Thatcher.

 

[steveR]

Slightly off-topic sorry, but did anyone else see the exchange between Neil Parish and Boris at the EFRA (?) committee the other day when Parish had to explain how food production was reliant on fertiliser production and that whilst we had two plants in the UK, one was not operating? Boris admitted that he wasnt aware that was the case and went on to bumble about getting his muckspreader out! I really was gobsmacked!!

At the statement, or that Bozo was talking crap..... again?

He really is a dreadful man.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Indeed. The title is not is it all George's fault? Different question.

Well if it's not his fault, why would you vote to sack him?

 

[DaveGrohl]

Well if it's not his fault, why would you vote to sack him?

As I’ve already said, the question isn’t is it all George’s fault.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

As I’ve already said, the question isn’t is it all George’s fault.

So why sack him then?

Maybe I'm missing the point...

 

[DaveGrohl]

If you want to have a go at someone, look at who is selling at or below the cost of production and ask them why.

Production costs are rising faster than what we are producing. The buyers don't want to pay any more, so we let it go at the old price. When it runs short, they might pay more (if they can't import).

Isn't this a straightforward market supply and demand situation?

Why is it George's fault?

Please don't say "feed the nation" or "starving people round the world". Farmer's cash flow is our responsibility not his.

Remember Debenhams or Woollies?

You are the one that asked the question. I merely pointed that out.

 

[BrianV]

George is not doing the Tories any favours!​

Johnson losing support in rural heartlands, poll shows​

© Adobe Stock
Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are losing support in rural communities that were once their biggest supporters, according to new research by a landowners’ organisation.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) polled 1,000 people from 7-14 March across five of the UK’s most rural counties by population density – Cornwall, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Norfolk and Gwynedd in North Wales.
The Survation survey results showed that less than half (46%) voted Conservative in the 2019 general election, while 29% voted Labour and 13% Liberal Democrats.
See also: Farmer support for Conservatives on the slide, FW survey reveals
When asked how they would vote if there was a general election tomorrow, the findings revealed a major shift in political allegiances among rural voters.
Barely two-and-a-half years since the general election, more than one-third of the same voters (36%) said they intended to vote Labour, while only 38% said they would vote Conservative – a 7.5-point swing to Keir Starmer’s party.
Large gains were also seen for the Green Party, whose percentage share of the the rural vote grew from 3% to 8%. But the Liberal Democrats lost three percentage points, moving from 13% to 10%.
Almost three-quarters of countryside voters (71%) believe opportunities for young people in rural areas have either decreased or remain stagnant in the past five years.

Explore moreKnow How​

Visit our Know How centre for practical farming advice

And almost half of respondents (42%) stated there had been an economic decline in their community over the past five years. The vast majority (79%) blamed the lack of affordable housing in rural areas for driving people out of the countryside.

Housing ‘less affordable’​

CLA president Mark Tufnell said: “Sensible, small-scale housing developments are often rejected out of hand and applications to convert disused farm buildings into office or workshop space can often take years.
“As a result, fewer jobs get created and housing becomes less affordable, so young people just move away.”
Julian Sturdy, Conservative MP for York Outer and chairman of the influential All Party Parliamentary Group on the Rural Powerhouse, added: “People rightly want a good job and an affordable home.
“The Levelling Up White Paper (PDF) was the perfect opportunity to uncover why they can be so hard to find in the countryside, but rural issues were largely absent.
“I think that’s been noticed by people and needs to be addressed urgently.”

 

[Steevo]

George is not doing the Tories any favours!​

Johnson losing support in rural heartlands, poll shows​

© Adobe Stock
Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are losing support in rural communities that were once their biggest supporters, according to new research by a landowners’ organisation.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) polled 1,000 people from 7-14 March across five of the UK’s most rural counties by population density – Cornwall, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Norfolk and Gwynedd in North Wales.
The Survation survey results showed that less than half (46%) voted Conservative in the 2019 general election, while 29% voted Labour and 13% Liberal Democrats.
See also: Farmer support for Conservatives on the slide, FW survey reveals
When asked how they would vote if there was a general election tomorrow, the findings revealed a major shift in political allegiances among rural voters.
Barely two-and-a-half years since the general election, more than one-third of the same voters (36%) said they intended to vote Labour, while only 38% said they would vote Conservative – a 7.5-point swing to Keir Starmer’s party.
Large gains were also seen for the Green Party, whose percentage share of the the rural vote grew from 3% to 8%. But the Liberal Democrats lost three percentage points, moving from 13% to 10%.
Almost three-quarters of countryside voters (71%) believe opportunities for young people in rural areas have either decreased or remain stagnant in the past five years.

Explore moreKnow How​

Visit our Know How centre for practical farming advice

And almost half of respondents (42%) stated there had been an economic decline in their community over the past five years. The vast majority (79%) blamed the lack of affordable housing in rural areas for driving people out of the countryside.

Housing ‘less affordable’​

CLA president Mark Tufnell said: “Sensible, small-scale housing developments are often rejected out of hand and applications to convert disused farm buildings into office or workshop space can often take years.
“As a result, fewer jobs get created and housing becomes less affordable, so young people just move away.”
Julian Sturdy, Conservative MP for York Outer and chairman of the influential All Party Parliamentary Group on the Rural Powerhouse, added: “People rightly want a good job and an affordable home.
“The Levelling Up White Paper (PDF) was the perfect opportunity to uncover why they can be so hard to find in the countryside, but rural issues were largely absent.
“I think that’s been noticed by people and needs to be addressed urgently.”

Nowadays there is no "party of the countryside". It makes like a bit tricky to find anyone to vote for when they all seem to hate rural dwellers as much as one another.

I can't see any of the existing parties wanting to bother regaining that vote either....nor can I see any new party springing up likely to do so in case it risks losing the affluent urbanite.