Where's all cattle gone?

[beefandsleep]

Why would you expect farmers in general to hold a valid opinion on the matter though? I certainly have no knowledge of the regulations supermarkets/processors have to abide by. What regulations are you aware of that would benefit UK ag if they were scrapped?
If you think reduced costs in retail or processing would be passed back you are delusional. As has been explained, we are price takers, we get what we are given.

 

[JP1]

Who said they were ? but that don't mean we have to just except more without even voicing an opinion about it just cos someone doing a completely different job has to put up with it does it ? which is what I done to Guy Smith and the NFU when they were on about WLA
As above even you get techy when its going to adversely affect you don't you
RT could have been used as a great way to promote British food instead of just another cost THAT is the great shame
I would sign up tomorrow if I thought a big % of our end customers were actively seeking it out and there was a genuine premium on it and support WLA as a great way to distinguish our produce from birth
But no its just a processor/supermarket stick to keep us in order

At the risk of the thread being hijacked again..........

I don't like RT. I sign up because I have to to maintain my cull cow values. I think it's fairly useless and agree with Sainsburys. I think anyone can get it and therefore it's meaningless.

Hence why I would like to work with PFLA or another (non organic) validation body to gain some differentiation and proper provenance.

I get tetchy when some don't read, when I get accused of being an industry wrecker etc. I am quite within my rights to sound off about WLA or anything else that affects me.

What I don't see (and nobody has yet told me) is the red tape / burden of basic RT. Allegations being thrown about like the biggest manure spreader that it's holding back the industry, forcing folks to go out of cattle and stuff just makes us look like idiots if I'm honest.

I actually support your wish for a proper provenance label and post Brexit you really do need a stop / go label for shoppers etc. Stop "manufacturing" from foreign / non equivalent provenance raw materials etc.

Whether I will see it again I'm not sure but High St family butchers, small abattoir processors (on farm even) and boutique prepared food outlets could help UK cattle farmers. And sensible and proportional deregulation could help here. You have to have a will to get these approved. Maybe, just maybe, having Gove in place at this time might help that.

On RT. Assuming the industry stranglehold was removed, (and apart from worming the farm cat but not recording any longer) what would be the first thing you'd stop doing, free from Red Tractor Assurance?

 

[davieh3350]

Why not get your cull cows hacked up into diced, mince, sausages and burgers, then sell it when you're out and about. Then you can bin the red tractor pish.

 

[Henarar]

At the risk of the thread being hijacked again..........

I don't like RT. I sign up because I have to to maintain my cull cow values. I think it's fairly useless and agree with Sainsburys. I think anyone can get it and therefore it's meaningless.

Hence why I would like to work with PFLA or another (non organic) validation body to gain some differentiation and proper provenance.

I get tetchy when some don't read, when I get accused of being an industry wrecker etc. I am quite within my rights to sound off about WLA or anything else that affects me.

What I don't see (and nobody has yet told me) is the red tape / burden of basic RT. Allegations being thrown about like the biggest manure spreader that it's holding back the industry, forcing folks to go out of cattle and stuff just makes us look like idiots if I'm honest.

I actually support your wish for a proper provenance label and post Brexit you really do need a stop / go label for shoppers etc. Stop "manufacturing" from foreign / non equivalent provenance raw materials etc.

Whether I will see it again I'm not sure but High St family butchers, small abattoir processors (on farm even) and boutique prepared food outlets could help UK cattle farmers. And sensible and proportional deregulation could help here. You have to have a will to get these approved. Maybe, just maybe, having Gove in place at this time might help that.

On RT. Assuming the industry stranglehold was removed, (and apart from worming the farm cat but not recording any longer) what would be the first thing you'd stop doing, free from Red Tractor Assurance?

I didn't accuse you of being an industry wrecker
I didn't say anything about red tape
And I am not an RT member so I would carry on the same

 

[JP1]

I didn't accuse you of being an industry wrecker
I didn't say anything about red tape
And I am not an RT member so I would carry on the same

You didn't, correct. GUTH did. I didn't say you had.

Plenty on here regurgitated the original theme that red tape was killing the cattle industry and I deigned to disagree

The whole mixed farming infrastructure, cattle returns and worsening drought summers have got rid of the cattle around here

 

[Henarar]

perhaps you should trundle down to Frome market with your one cow per year, that's where we sell barren cows and I am yet to be convinced that the price difference is enough to justify the RT cost for us with about 4/5 cows per year
and it makes F all difference to the stores

 

[JP1]

perhaps you should trundle down to Frome market with your one cow per year, that's where we sell barren cows and I am yet to be convinced that the price difference is enough to justify the RT cost for us with about 4/5 cows per year
and it makes F all difference to the stores

I did wonder about contacting cullcows on here tbh.

 

[Weasel]

In my book, farmers should await the results of any Brexit deal and then literally blockade the ports and make a bit public song and dance about anything coming in sub UK standard

Agree with this, but they won't as British farmers have no rubbish

 

[Henarar]

I did wonder about contacting cullcows on here tbh.

now you have joined you may as well stick to it
WLA will finish my hold out against the voluntary scheme that we have to join

 

[ImLost]

Just going back to the first few posts on here... can anyone point me in the direction of the owners of these empty weed covered fields and disused pasture?? As everyone on here is always so keen for the younger generation to get into farming, im sure someone will no doubt be able to help!!

It really grinds my gears when threads like this come up, when in my personal experience looking to even rent land is a nightmare. "No sorry, we will be grazing it." 2 years on, not a single head of livestock has entered the field and the docks are starting to look more like a newly planted forest. "Sorry, its already rented out" and a month later you see an ad for that piece of land up for rent?!. "We want £x an acre for it" Waaay too expensive, and no one ever rents it at that price, would you rather some return from lower rent or no return because the asking price is so high no one rents?? These are not just one off events, they are regularly happening to me. And then threads like this start and everyone is wondering where all the cattle have gone, why young people arent getting into farming, often walking away from it. Reading through this thread, yes i know farming isnt easy with red tape, prices, costs, farm location etc. etc. but how is anyone meant to even try to start without the land to farm???! Let alone even be interested in agriculture....

I know im probably missing something here, but would be glad to here peoples opinions

 

[unlacedgecko]

Just going back to the first few posts on here... can anyone point me in the direction of the owners of these empty weed covered fields and disused pasture?? As everyone on here is always so keen for the younger generation to get into farming, im sure someone will no doubt be able to help!!

It really grinds my gears when threads like this come up, when in my personal experience looking to even rent land is a nightmare. "No sorry, we will be grazing it." 2 years on, not a single head of livestock has entered the field and the docks are starting to look more like a newly planted forest. "Sorry, its already rented out" and a month later you see an ad for that piece of land up for rent?!. "We want £x an acre for it" Waaay too expensive, and no one ever rents it at that price, would you rather some return from lower rent or no return because the asking price is so high no one rents?? These are not just one off events, they are regularly happening to me. And then threads like this start and everyone is wondering where all the cattle have gone, why young people arent getting into farming, often walking away from it. Reading through this thread, yes i know farming isnt easy with red tape, prices, costs, farm location etc. etc. but how is anyone meant to even try to start without the land to farm???! Let alone even be interested in agriculture....

I know im probably missing something here, but would be glad to here peoples opinions

Work for someone. Gain experience and demonstrate you're not an idiot. Once you are known within the industry in your area opportunities may well present themselves.

 

[ImLost]

Work for someone. Gain experience and demonstrate you're not an idiot. Once you are known within the industry in your area opportunities may well present themselves.

Excellent point there, but then it becomes a trade off between gaining experience and earning enough money to get started. in my short experience in agriculture you cant do both, not like some industries.

 

[Henarar]

Excellent point there, but then it becomes a trade off between gaining experience and earning enough money to get started. in my short experience in agriculture you cant do both, not like some industries.

where abouts in the country are you ?

One thing that grinds my gears is folk the haven't got a location
a lot of things discussed on here vary with location

 

[Paul E]

where abouts in the country are you ?

One thing that grinds my gears is folk the haven't got a location
a lot of things discussed on here vary with location

Don't ask him - He doesn't know because he's lost!

 

[Lovegoodstock]

where abouts in the country are you ?

One thing that grinds my gears is folk the haven't got a location
a lot of things discussed on here vary with location

Completely agree, an answer is completely different with relevant location. Possible suggestion of when registering your area is compulsory as makes discussions relevant and easier to reply to. Weed ridden thistle leys would make 100 pound per acre here if you got lucky and got it cheap!!

 

[ImLost]

where abouts in the country are you ?

One thing that grinds my gears is folk the haven't got a location
a lot of things discussed on here vary with location

Sorry! i will change that now!! Im in suffolk.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Sorry! i will change that now!! Im in suffolk.

There are possibilities in your area.

Speak to these people. http://www.angliafarmer.co.uk/norfolk-farm-lets-record-speak-for-itself/

 

[ImLost]

There are possibilities in your area.

Speak to these people. http://www.angliafarmer.co.uk/norfolk-farm-lets-record-speak-for-itself/

Sorry to be incredibly thick @unlacedgecko, where you thinking more job opportunities or actually getting started with farming?
Thanks for that though! got me thinking already

 

[unlacedgecko]

Sorry to be incredibly thick @unlacedgecko, where you thinking more job opportunities or actually getting started with farming?
Thanks for that though! got me thinking already

Job/inspirational story. I don't know them or if they're looking for anyone, but they've built what seems a large operation and may well need extra labour or,know someone who does.

They're also more likely to know of any available land/farm share opportunities in the area