What a sorry state our industry is in.

[Ukjay]

Is Christmas really a Christian holiday any more? Very few cards have a picture of Christ on them, not many will start the meal with a word of thanks to God, and plenty who “celebrate” will spend all year without worshiping in church.

Some may be asking if Christmas was ever a Christian holiday in the first instance as some believe it was an overthrow of the old Pagan ritual.

Also, how many people live their lives by the ways of the book.

 

[Highland Mule]

Some may be asking if Christmas was ever a Christian holiday in the first instance as some believe it was an overthrow of the old Pagan ritual.

Also, how many people live their lives by the ways of the book.

None of us manage, but increasingly few are even trying.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

None of us manage, but increasingly few are even trying.

For me the book is more to do with what we do in our daily lives than one day per week and thinking it excuses us

 

[turbo]

Well you n your Mrs can go work in the shops on Christian holidays .

That’s a bit harsh just for asking the price of sprouts!

 

[Ukjay]

None of us manage, but increasingly few are even trying.

Exactly, and people should be ashamed if they are 'truly religious'.

 

[ollie989898]

I am very glad the UK is not formed from one homogenous population of devout Christians- It means that you can always find somewhere to buy fuel locally because the Indian chap there walks to work and December 25th is just another day of the month to him. Guess whose forecourt qas open last year in the snow? I bet he is open new years day as well.

 

[Little squeak]

We don't seem any closer to finding out which farmers are supplying the cheap veg. Lidl are on 15p undercutting the 19p offer. Doe's anyone know who are growing veg for this price?

 

[Highland Mule]

We don't seem any closer to finding out which farmers are supplying the cheap veg. Lidl are on 15p undercutting the 19p offer. Doe's anyone know who are growing veg for this price?

Maybe nobody - the supermarket could be taking the hit to get us in the door. If not, why not go buy a packet and see what’s on the label?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

We don't seem any closer to finding out which farmers are supplying the cheap veg. Lidl are on 15p undercutting the 19p offer. Doe's anyone know who are growing veg for this price?

Lidl costs will be lower than Tescos . surly they can pay the ssme and sell cheaper . Their stores are little more than a manned warehouse

 

[Wolds Beef]

Of at a tangent! @Guy Smith The supermarkets have scored an own goal with rancid turkey's. Should the NFU or AHDB or Eblex not point out in FULL page adverts in national media and online that buying from local Butchers and Producers is much safer as the birds can be bought locally and fresher. Come on
you lot(our advertising organisations) please help our industry.
WB

 

[Bald Rick]

Why are they dropping out of the bottom though? Is it because they all just retire or because some can no longer survive at current prices?
Your buyer wants close, easy one pump, one load suppliers, if you provide them with that it means they can drop further away, small suppliers, as seems to be the case in Scotland and other parts of the UK currently.
You're talking about hauling your own milk because it may reduce your overall COP. That's great and should increase profit but it also means you could stand a lower price than someone who doesn't. They then drop out and you carry on, perhaps even expanding.

I've no problem with what you are doing, you have the drive and ambition so go for it. You are absolutely competing with other dairy farmers though.

In the main, I suspect they are dropping out for the following, ranked, reasons

1. Age &/or lack of succession
2. Need to spend big on infrastructure to be compliant with modern rules and regs
3. Fed up with running to stand still and volatile prices making business decisions difficult
4. Too small. I suspect there will come a time soon when dairies will impose minimum collection amounts

As for CoP, only a fool would ignore opportunities to either reduce CoP or increase margin
And I still don’t understand why you think fellow producers are my competition. The only direct competition they offer me is local farmers squabbling over land to rent

 

[PuG]

Just paid 6 euros 57 per kilo of bio sprouts here in the South of France. Like gold dust - but I don't begrudge it if I only knew the grower was getting the profit. I always get the feeling with bio shops they wack the profit on as they feel self riotous, fleece there customers, pocket the premium and at the same time I doubt the producers get a cent more profit than if they were conventional.

 

[Clive]

Im not a fan of splitting up retailers , but the easy way, is to make it illegal to sell below industry average COP , (those details are readily available on producer body websites and could be updated on a 2-6 month basis to allow for weather and over production etc ) , unless dated of damaged goods , the reason tesco didnt make it in France is because their laws at the time prohibited selling under COP . that way the producer doesnt get pressured to supply at loss
on threat of loosing contract .

laws preventing retail at less than COP along with law to ban imports produced at lower than uk standards would utterly transform this country not just Agriculture

throw in a corporation and higher rate income tax cut and this country would be utterly mighty again and the economic powerhouse of the world

 

[tepapa]

250g of prepared sprouts in a plastic tub with half a rasher of bacon and a knob of butter, microwaveable in 5mins for £2.50.
That's how you add value to sprouts

 

[Kiwi Pete]

laws preventing retail at less than COP along with law to ban imports produced at lower than uk standards would utterly transform this country not just Agriculture

throw in a corporation and higher rate income tax cut and this country would be utterly mighty again and the economic powerhouse of the world

By "standards", do you mean "arbitrary rules and regulations"?
These do not guarantee commodity superiority whatsoever - merely extra cost of production and extra jobs with clipboards (aka parasites) - this is 'the economy'

Don't wish to be a sad-sack but few outside countries will ever race to brandish clipboards in the same way yours does.

 

[Clive]

By "standards", do you mean "arbitrary rules and regulations"?
These do not guarantee commodity superiority whatsoever - merely extra cost of production and extra jobs with clipboards (aka parasites) - this is 'the economy'

Don't wish to be a sad-sack but few outside countries will ever race to brandish clipboards in the same way yours does.

i’m not suggesting superiority. just consistency

allowing imports that use product or standard banned in our own country simply exports problems overseas so holds no logic


not just talking ag here - it should be the same across all industry

 

[glasshouse]

That’s a bit harsh just for asking the price of sprouts!

You never know where a thread can lead.

 

[glasshouse]

Lidl costs will be lower than Tescos . surly they can pay the ssme and sell cheaper . Their stores are little more than a manned warehouse

Some may be asking if Christmas was ever a Christian holiday in the first instance as some believe it was an overthrow of the old Pagan ritual.

Also, how many people live their lives by the ways of the book.

xmas was never a scottish holiday till the seventies

 

[Hilly]

That’s a bit harsh just for asking the price of sprouts!

I don’t know how it quoted that as well lol

 

[glasshouse]

Today I watched as veg in the supermarket is proudly displayed at 19p a bag,Beef half price at £5kg Pork,lamb the same.As I walked round the supermarket shoppers grabbed the bargain food,yet as I watched the drink Isle bottles where gathered up without a pause over their price.So why do the public expect food at below production while buying their plonk and chatting on their £1000 iPhones.There is something seriously wrong with all this,and one day when food can no longer be produced in this country because idiots like me are no longer prepared to work 24/7 for nothing,and those who boast they can produce food at that price can’t anymore.Well don’t worry the public will shout just import it,but from who because looking at other countries they are been taken for granted like us.

Supermarkets are a major cause of global warming with all their plastic packaging and excess road miles to centralised distribution.
And selling produce below cost, driving small eco friendly farmers to the wall.
That message needs to be spread