What one thing could Defra do for UK Ag ?

[lazy farmer]

As above.
Given that Defra has been tasked with coming up with a new food policy what one thing could Defra do with their policies/ budget to make life better for us ?

 

[digger64]

As above.
Given that Defra has been tasked with coming up with a new food policy what one thing could Defra do with their policies/ budget to make life better for us ?

They could take early retirement and disappear . or retrain as customs officers .

 

[yellowbelly]

They could shut down those streets and streets full of offices that they have in London, sack all the blood-sucking pen pushers, burn all the red tape and rule books, get off our backs and let us get on with the farming.

As that's hardly likely to happen, could I ask them to revert to just being the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and kick all the environment rubbish into touch.......

...........oh, and do away with the 6 day standstill as well, while they're at it

 

[Tarw Coch]

They could shut down those streets and streets full of offices that they have in London, sack all the blood-sucking pen pushers, burn all the red tape and rule books, get off our backs and let us get on with the farming.

As that's hardly likely to happen, could I ask them to revert to just being the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and kick all the environment rubbish into touch.......

...........oh, and do away with the 6 day standstill as well, while they're at it

I think the OP was asking for constructive comments not your wet dream?

So I’ll say do something about TB once and for all, we know what the main problem is................now who was talking about wet dreams

 

[Bald Rick]

Give me a subsidy cheque every month to cover the shortfall by allowing food in produced to much lower environmental and animal welfare standards.

£100k/mth might just cover it

 

[7610 super q]

Do away with the 3 crop rule would end 5 years of misery for me. Growing crops that there's no market for to satisfy this stupid rule makes no sense in a commercial business.

 

[Hampton]

The problem with Defra is that the vast majority have joined from the departments of transport, health and education.
These people have know knowledge of agriculture and are largely London centric. The Ag universities and colleges should be actively trying to push more graduates into Defra which would change the thought dynamics.
Like I say, it is too London centric and not rural enough. We therefore don’t get our points across

 

[Hampton]

It is a case of fixing the problem at source, rather than sticking plasters

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Run agriculture in one of two ways:

1) If they want to increase our regulatory burden (e.g. banning Glyphosate, or banning farrowing crates etc in the UK) ensure that imports produced in that way are banned also.

or

2) let us get on with farming how we and our customers see fit and keep DEFRA's mitts off.

Not some wishy washy halfway house between the two.

 

[delilah]

Er.

The consultation closed on Friday.

I assume that all of the comments to be posted on this thread were likewise inputted to the consultation ?

Feck it, i'm still in a bad mood from the football. Edit: or is it really that deeply ingrained in to your dna to just moan all the bleeding time even when given the opportunity to have a positive input ?

 

[spin cycle]

Er.

The consultation closed on Friday.

I assume that all of the comments to be posted on this thread were likewise inputted to the consultation ?

Feck it, i'm still in a bad mood from the football. Edit: or is it really that deeply ingrained in to your dna to just moan all the bleeding time even when given the opportunity to have a positive input ?

thought you'd turned the corner after 2 wins .....don't worry i'll feeling the same in about 90 mins

i'd like defra to pay stewardship claims on time regardless of whether they'd checked the claim....if they havn't checked them thats their problem

 

[delilah]

thought you'd turned the corner after 2 wins .....don't worry i'll feeling the same in about 90 mins

i'd like defra to pay stewardship claims on time regardless of whether they'd checked the claim....if they havn't checked them thats their problem

oh yeah, 0-2 already at least you haven't gone

 

[spin cycle]

oh yeah, 0-2 already at least you haven't gone

i'm hiding behind the sofa ....it's a haloween horror show

 

[Simon Chiles]

Do away with the 3 crop rule would end 5 years of misery for me. Growing crops that there's no market for to satisfy this stupid rule makes no sense in a commercial business.

Maybe if they just increased the threshold for each crop would help, for example make it so that if you had up to 200 acres you only need 1 crop, up to 400 acres 2 crops etc. It would suit all the small farmers and save a lot of contractors running kit all over the place for silly areas that aren’t even a whole days work.

 

[Dry Rot]

Just one thing?

Take animals and birds off the protected list that don't need protecting?

Why on earth protect badgers when foxes aren't? No logic in that.

Why protect ravens in areas where they cause serious damage during lambing?

 

[digger64]

thought you'd turned the corner after 2 wins .....don't worry i'll feeling the same in about 90 mins

i'd like defra to pay stewardship claims on time regardless of whether they'd checked the claim....if they havn't checked them thats their problem

How about getting rid of tb rather rather wasting tax payers time and money on things like that at all

 

[teslacoils]

They could reposition their mindset, and be pro farmer and trusting, rather than looking purposefully to trip us up at every opportunity.

 

[Danllan]

All the joking apart, I think two things would make a huge difference. But, since the OP only allows us one, I'd choose this: the Secretary of State, the permanent Secretary and all the ministers and other senior Civil Servants go to New Zealand and learn how a governmental department can work with and for the agricultural industry (toward the national interest).

 

[digger64]

Maybe if they just increased the threshold for each crop would help, for example make it so that if you had up to 200 acres you only need 1 crop, up to 400 acres 2 crops etc. It would suit all the small farmers and save a lot of contractors running kit all over the place for silly areas that aren’t even a whole days work.

Are you addicted to complications and paperwork ? Would you be lost without it ? Perhaps they could administer a scheme to help farmers with therapy to help them deal with simpler less stressed lives ? -the JGOWI scheme

 

[spin cycle]

All the joking apart, I think two things would make a huge difference. But, since the OP only allows us one, I'd choose this: the Secretary of State, the permanent Secretary and all the ministers and other senior Civil Servants go to New Zealand and learn how a governmental department can work with and for the agricultural industry (toward the national interest).

OR they'd 'teach' kiwi's their bad habits