Who is NFU supporting?

[Treg]

I'm reluctantly posting this thread but 2 farmer mates that I've spoken to this week are struggling & reading a couple of @Farmer Roy s post got me thinking ....
To start with as most of you know I'm a Organic farmer so if this comes across biased I apologise.
I have been a NFU member for several years , insure pretty much everything with them and have been pleased with the service.
In the first years it was apparent there was a definite anti Organic side to the NFU no support & more interested in supporting Agro chemical firms....
Which brings me to my point are the NFU to interested in supporting Big business instead of their members?
Propose banning a spray & their all over media with the benefits of said spray & come up with scientific evidence that it doesn't effect Bees.
Also alot of the magazine is given over to car offers.
Now let me think who's money is behind bashing livestock farming BP, Bayer , unilever & alot of the car industry trying to focus the blame on other industries.
Why would a farmer funded Union also support the very companies that are trying to destroy the majority of it's members livelihoods?
Why did the NFU support agri chemical firms more than it's own members?
What financial benefits do NFU receive from these companies?
I,ve met alot of NFU staff & office holders over the years & all of them want to help the industry & are very nice people so this is not a personalised attack on anybody within the NFU & I'm not planning on giving up my subscription as we need a national body to stick up for farming but come on NFU take a good look at yourselves & ask whether as a whole the NFU is doing a good job , because here in the fields your members are suffering.

 

[dairyrow]

I don't think the present representative structure is right if i'm honest. Too many jobs for the boys and not enough evolution in the top groups. ICOS i think it was called in Ireland had a rule of 2 terms and out, good or bad. You've only got to look at the animal rights to evolution extinction groups. How we as a industry have allowed ourselves to be bullied and blamed for all the worlds ill's. I think the present problem with farming is it has become very industrialised from what consumers want, but won't actually pay for it.

These are just my thought's and maybe nobody else feels the same way

 

[Goweresque]

So you'd like the NFU to support the banning of a chemical that you don't use yourself, but lots of NFU members do? How exactly is that not supporting their members? Farmers weren't out there campaigning for neonics to be outlawed were they?

Why would a farmer funded Union also support the very companies that are trying to destroy the majority of it's members livelihoods?

Yes because businesses actively try to destroy the customers who are buying their products

Look you do not agree with the use of agro-chemicals, fair enough. But that does not mean everyone thinks the same and its just isn't true that agro-chemical firms are actively trying to destroy farmers. Its marginal sometimes whether their products are financially viable, and make a return on the money spent, but then no-one forces us to use them, we're big boys, we have to make our own decisions. I've not noticed anyone a leather coat from Bayer turning up at my farm in a blacked our Range Rover and saying 'Nice farm you've got here, would be shame if it all burnt down' and demanding I buy their products.

 

[Stewart Setter]

So you'd like the NFU to support the banning of a chemical that you don't use yourself, but lots of NFU members do? How exactly is that not supporting their members? Farmers weren't out there campaigning for neonics to be outlawed were they?



Yes because businesses actively try to destroy the customers who are buying their products

Look you do not agree with the use of agro-chemicals, fair enough. But that does not mean everyone thinks the same and its just isn't true that agro-chemical firms are actively trying to destroy farmers. Its marginal sometimes whether their products are financially viable, and make a return on the money spent, but then no-one forces us to use them, we're big boys, we have to make our own decisions. I've not noticed anyone a leather coat from Bayer turning up at my farm in a blacked our Range Rover and saying 'Nice farm you've got here, would be shame if it all burnt down' and demanding I buy their products.

I don't think the post was calling for support on a ban on Argo chemicals but more a call for increased support and promotion of the Organic method. The NFU, as all agricultural bodies that receive funds from the farm, should be impartial and devote a decent amount of resources to all methods of farming and not those that contribute most to their bottom line.

 

[Brisel]

It's very hard to be all things to all people. They have members who have big, medium and small farms. Arable, beef, dairy, poultry, sheep, horticulture, organic, non organic, they all want different things.

They may be far from perfect & the favourite target for naysayers, but I have yet to hear of a suitable alternative who would look out for UK Agriculture in general better than the NFU do now. Car discounts are a very good way of members getting value for money from their membership subs. The rest of the ads are there to help pay for the magazine. Of course they are targeted at selling their wares to NFU members. It's called marketing.

I think you're well wide of the mark on the agrochemical industry @Treg The NFU just want science based judgement, not knee jerk measures designed to appease a vocal ill informed minority dominating the news. The neonic ban is the perfect example of such a reaction. No impact assessments on the alternatives that prejudice the very species the ban was designed to protect and some very dodgy science used to justify it.

 

[Hampton]

I'm reluctantly posting this thread but 2 farmer mates that I've spoken to this week are struggling & reading a couple of @Farmer Roy s post got me thinking ....
To start with as most of you know I'm a Organic farmer so if this comes across biased I apologise.
I have been a NFU member for several years , insure pretty much everything with them and have been pleased with the service.
In the first years it was apparent there was a definite anti Organic side to the NFU no support & more interested in supporting Agro chemical firms....
Which brings me to my point are the NFU to interested in supporting Big business instead of their members?
Propose banning a spray & their all over media with the benefits of said spray & come up with scientific evidence that it doesn't effect Bees.
Also alot of the magazine is given over to car offers.
Now let me think who's money is behind bashing livestock farming BP, Bayer , unilever & alot of the car industry trying to focus the blame on other industries.
Why would a farmer funded Union also support the very companies that are trying to destroy the majority of it's members livelihoods?
Why did the NFU support agri chemical firms more than it's own members?
What financial benefits do NFU receive from these companies?
I,ve met alot of NFU staff & office holders over the years & all of them want to help the industry & are very nice people so this is not a personalised attack on anybody within the NFU & I'm not planning on giving up my subscription as we need a national body to stick up for farming but come on NFU take a good look at yourselves & ask whether as a whole the NFU is doing a good job , because here in the fields your members are suffering.

On the flip side, the soil association, the biggest organic organisation in the country are advocating that we should be eating less meat, despite over 80% of their members being livestock farmers.
don’t hear them getting heavily criticised on here

 

[betweenthelines]

Lot of sweeping statements there Treg. You need to remember that the vast majority of farmers & NFU members farm in what I would call a traditional way using modern science such as chemicals and fertilisers to produce the cheap food that the vast majority of the public wants. I think the gist of your complaint is that the NFU are not openly campainging against the way that most of their members farm? To me, your comments are just another example of the "Holier than thou" attitudes of most organic farmers-using terms such as "we farm properly/in harmony with nature etc etc which imply (quite wrongly) that so called "organic" food and farming is somehow superior to normal farming methods. You need to accept that your viewpoint and farming methods are not mainstream and supply a very much niche market. You may be quite a reasonable person, but you almost Evangelical views on your opinions are not very farm removed from those of certain ER and vegan groups who believe everyone else needs to be coerced into their viewpoint. You have an opinion, but you must accept that your opinion is not shared by the vast majority of farmers, the NFU or the public.

 

[Henarar]

I think you better explain your post a bit better @Treg
before we have to get the popcorn out

 

[betweenthelines]

I think you better explain your post a bit better @Treg
before we have to get the popcorn out

He pays his subs and uses NFU Mutual so, in return, they should slag off 90% of their members and the support industries. Perhaps he wants Monbiot as NFU chairman and Packham as livestock chair.

 

[Stewart Setter]

I think some that are reading the post are missing a particular line

To start with as most of you know I'm a Organic farmer so if this comes across biased I apologise.

The way I read the post was not a slam on the current traditional farming methods but a call for increased support for the Organic method. So for example, Organic produce in the shops costs more, so more should be done to explain why that is.

 

[worker]

I can understand why Treg feels this way. When I had 20 Downcalving organic heifers shot for TB I tried to get the true value for them, but was told by DEFRA that the NFU had fought for a different payment schedule for pedigree livestock but did not pursue the higher , true, value for organic livestock because "it couldn't be bothered". If there is any NFU official member on here they could either confirm or deny this

 

[PaulNix]

Seeing the way the for years Soil Association acted putting the boot in on conventional farming at every turn whilst saying we should all stand together when someone had a go back all whilst hiding away all their own loopholes and chemicals they were using which were banned for us, I been wondering whether the organic farmers were paying the NFU not to support them and look the other way .........

 

[worker]

Seeing the way the for years Soil Association acted putting the boot in on conventional farming at every turn whilst saying we should all stand together when someone had a go back all whilst hiding away all their own loopholes and chemicals they were using which were banned for us, I been wondering whether the organic farmers were paying the NFU not to support them and look the other way .........

I can't understand what you are trying to say

 

[Treg]

So you'd like the NFU to support the banning of a chemical that you don't use yourself, but lots of NFU members do? How exactly is that not supporting their members? Farmers weren't out there campaigning for neonics to be outlawed were they?



Yes because businesses actively try to destroy the customers who are buying their products

Look you do not agree with the use of agro-chemicals, fair enough. But that does not mean everyone thinks the same and its just isn't true that agro-chemical firms are actively trying to destroy farmers. Its marginal sometimes whether their products are financially viable, and make a return on the money spent, but then no-one forces us to use them, we're big boys, we have to make our own decisions. I've not noticed anyone a leather coat from Bayer turning up at my farm in a blacked our Range Rover and saying 'Nice farm you've got here, would be shame if it all burnt down' and demanding I buy their products.

Can you point out on my post where I've asked for chemicals to be banned? My point was they came up with evidence to prove certain sprays weren't effecting the bees & had it all over the media , why isn't the same being done about livestock farming
& yes it is true that agro chemical firms are trying to destroy livestock farming the Efa reports that Eat lancet is financed by Bayer.
I started by saying I'm Organic to be open I want the NFU to be Open too.

 

[Treg]

I think some that are reading the post are missing a particular line



The way I read the post was not a slam on the current traditional farming methods but a call for increased support for the Organic method. So for example, Organic produce in the shops costs more, so more should be done to explain why that is.

No I just wanted to be open , I think the industry is suffering as a whole.

 

[Treg]

It's very hard to be all things to all people. They have members who have big, medium and small farms. Arable, beef, dairy, poultry, sheep, horticulture, organic, non organic, they all want different things.

They may be far from perfect & the favourite target for naysayers, but I have yet to hear of a suitable alternative who would look out for UK Agriculture in general better than the NFU do now. Car discounts are a very good way of members getting value for money from their membership subs. The rest of the ads are there to help pay for the magazine. Of course they are targeted at selling their wares to NFU members. It's called marketing.

I think you're well wide of the mark on the agrochemical industry @Treg The NFU just want science based judgement, not knee jerk measures designed to appease a vocal ill informed minority dominating the news. The neonic ban is the perfect example of such a reaction. No impact assessments on the alternatives that prejudice the very species the ban was designed to protect and some very dodgy science used to justify it.

But there's science to prove livestock farming is beneficial to the environment, why isn't it being pushed more?

 

[Treg]

On the flip side, the soil association, the biggest organic organisation in the country are advocating that we should be eating less meat, despite over 80% of their members being livestock farmers.
don’t hear them getting heavily criticised on here

Believe me I ve rang them & criticised there stance & also got them to remove soya from school meals & support British beans & pulses. Done for the benefit of all farmers not just Organic ones.

 

[Treg]

I think you better explain your post a bit better @Treg
before we have to get the popcorn out

If I removed the I'm Organic bit you probably wouldn't need to get the popcorn out.
The big agro chemical companies fund eat lancet & the NFU support the chemical companies, everyone thinks that's ok do they?

 

[Brisel]

But there's science to prove livestock farming is beneficial to the environment, why isn't it being pushed more?

To be fair to the NFU, they are promoting grazing as good and sustainable land management. The message just gets drowned out by media savvy pressure groups, the BBC and individuals like Monbiot. Organics require livestock as part of the fertility building system that complements plant based food production, as we all do.

 

[Treg]

Seeing the way the for years Soil Association acted putting the boot in on conventional farming at every turn whilst saying we should all stand together when someone had a go back all whilst hiding away all their own loopholes and chemicals they were using which were banned for us, I been wondering whether the organic farmers were paying the NFU not to support them and look the other way .........

I'm no big fan of the Soil Association either if that helps? They've jumped on the Vegan band wagon & don't give a bullocks about good farming methods.
I'm questioning why the NFU made a big thing of supporting Agri chemical but are still quiet on protecting the livestock industry.