The new thinking. Improve or die.

[llamedos]

A thought provoking article.



It is becoming increasingly hard to remain an “average farmer”. All around are temptations and inducements to being “improved”. You might aspire to just toddle along letting the go-getters in the industry set the pace but nowadays there are both carrots and sticks to goad the unambitious into action. What is happening now is a push out of the door for those hanging on to being average Andrew Arbuckle

Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/business/co...-farming-industry-is-improve-or-die-1-4346112

 

[RWG Contracts]

Go big or go home

 

[Ysgythan]

That's what they said in 1984

(Dairy quotas not Orwell...)

 

[rob1]

love this quote,perhaps the author missed the irony

"It is extremely likely that Government will, in the future, support schemes which reward effective production systems. It is a pity the Beef Efficiency Scheme is such a bureaucratic nightmare as it gives a clue as to what might be a system for the future."

 

[Alicecow]

That's all very well, but courses and meetings don't fit themselves in around my daily schedule or lifestyle, so generally it means that I can't go to/on them.

 

[Bossfarmer]

don't they think people are already trying to be as efficient as possible? most are

 

[Pasty]

don't they think people are already trying to be as efficient as possible? most are

Yeah but they'll only know if they are doing well when they are really put to the test.

I suspect that many farmers have the idea that if they read FW like gospel and get in all the best people, pay them thousands, 'invest' in millions of quids worth of depreciating machinery and work 24/7, they will think they are being efficient.

What counts is the net profit. That is all.

 

[Red Fred]

I think there are a certain number of busy fools who think that appearing to struggle on making their lives difficult impresses the neighbours, and whose lifestyle is propped up by the subsidies.

 

[Bossfarmer]

Yeah but they'll only know if they are doing well when they are really put to the test.

I suspect that many farmers have the idea that if they read FW like gospel and get in all the best people, pay them thousands, 'invest' in millions of quids worth of depreciating machinery and work 24/7, they will think they are being efficient.

What counts is the net profit. That is all.

I think actually that most big arable units(which you appear to be referring to) are on top of their costs these days after a series of low grain price seasons but theres only so much you can make from an acre

 

[Bossfarmer]

I think there are a certain number of busy fools who think that appearing to struggle on making their lives difficult impresses the neighbours, and whose lifestyle is propped up by the subsidies.

while occasionally this is true I would point out that many of the big tattie/grain growers round here who have previously been reffered to with this attitude have the scale now to buy big farms and have been doing so this year so they must be doing ok to get that kind of deposit together, if anyone will get by without subsidies its those with over £1m turnover as the sub is a very small percentage of their revenues

 

[7610 super q]

What a load of ocking rollocks.
People have been telling us to be more efficient since about 1678.
Change the record.

 

[Farma Parma]

Dad had all these costs figured out on the back of a Fag packet many a year ago & he struggled to get things to add up even then
Personally move on 25yrs & were no better off. All the Jump in Farming evolution to make it simple & as he used to often say
We just taking 19 steps back to make 5 forward.
Its no different now is it.
Farms have went bigger n bigger just to keep ahead of themselves.
Ive keep out of the lets just grab more land at what the heck it costs & surely it will balance out brigade.
Smaller Farms still have there place but whats a small farm nowadays?

 

[Bossfarmer]

Dad had all these costs figured out on the back of a Fag packet many a year ago & he struggled to get things to add up even then
Personally move on 25yrs & were no better off. All the Jump in Farming evolution to make it simple & as he used to often say
We just taking 19 steps back to make 5 forward.
Its no different now is it.
Farms have went bigger n bigger just to keep ahead of themselves.
Ive keep out of the lets just grab more land at what the heck it costs & surely it will balance out brigade.
Smaller Farms still have there place but whats a small farm nowadays?

500 acres?

 

[Bossfarmer]

What a load of ocking rollocks.
People have been telling us to be more efficient since about 1678.
Change the record.

you may say that but the evidence is there, the deposit for a 4million pound farm doesn't just come from thin air

 

[Red Fred]

while occasionally this is true I would point out that many of the big tattie/grain growers round here who have previously been reffered to with this attitude have the scale now to buy big farms and have been doing so this year so they must be doing ok to get that kind of deposit together, if anyone will get by without subsidies its those with over £1m turnover as the sub is a very small percentage of their revenues

But there is a difference between being productively busy, like the folks you mention, presumably, and being a busy fool for the sake of it, if you see what I mean. Some folks seem to think that by being hard done by and trudging about in the mud with a negative attitude, the world must owe them a living.

 

[7610 super q]

you may say that but the evidence is there, the deposit for a 4million pound farm doesn't just come from thin air

There'd have to be a tremendous hike in farm gate prices before I would consider paying £4 million for a farm. Worrying about saving £10/ T off fert prices, or fretting about what piddling subsidies we may receive ain't going to cut it I'm afraid......

 

[tje]

you may say that but the evidence is there, the deposit for a 4million pound farm doesn't just come from thin air

Most of this money comes from non farming sources ...development , city , business ...etc

 

[Yale]

If they give farmers calculators we will stop producing food.

 

[Red Fred]

I reckon we need a public sector style pension scheme, so superannuated old gits over, say, 54 are given a generous civil service level pension if they sell their farms and bugger off out of the way. They could be given tax free grey fergies to tinker with in the garage of their bungalows, or a sunshine bus to get to the livestock mart each week for a gossip.

 

[onthehoof]

The only time farmers have got rich is when there has been a shortage (or perceived shortage) of food resulting in high prices.
Plenty of folk around including some on here who think the only way to get rich is to increase production.

Edit
More production= more work = lower prices = less profit