Who is REALLY paying for AG Subsidies???......... THE RICH

[FonterraFarmer]

What about me, can I have one too!

Only if you get a newer tractor with a better cab!!!

 

[davieh3350]

Only if you get a newer tractor with a better cab!!!

Sod off, it works well enough!

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Sod off, it works well enough!

 

[Bossfarmer]

British supermarkets have been forced to ration vegetables after floods and storms ransacked crops across the Mediterranean.

Some of the country’s leading retailers have put caps on the amount of fresh produce shoppers can buy at one time, with broccoli and iceberg lettuces among the worst affected vegetables.

REMIND ME WHO SAID FOOD SUPPLY WASNT AN ISSUE??

 

[Bossfarmer]

According to statistics from cloud technology company Epos Now, who have surveyed 500 convenience stores who use their technology, the price of iceberg lettuces has increased by 29pc from 87p in January 2016 to £1.12 last month.

 

[Bossfarmer]

The struggles in Europe have caused wholesalers to turn towards the United States for their vegetables, which is considerably more expensive. This had led to an increase in prices in some British supermarkets.

LESS DOMESTIC FOOD SUPPLY MEANS HIGHER PRICES FOR CONSUMERS

 

[FonterraFarmer]

The " Great UK Lettuce shortage of 2017"

 

[RobFZS]

how is subs going to help out of season veg stay the same price come a shortage in the middle of winter ?
I personally don't give a damn about high prices for consumers, we wouldn't have an NHS crisis with soo many fatties if food was more expensive, the government will eventually put a stop to this with their Totalitarian ways.

 

[Old McDonald]

British supermarkets have been forced to ration vegetables after floods and storms ransacked crops across the Mediterranean.

Old news and there is a thread about it on TFF already.

Had you known last year that this was going to happen could you have been producing Iceberg lettuce last month and this at below your selling price? Remember you would need tens of thousands a week, and all the labour to cut and pack.

Food items that cannot be produced in Britain either at all, or at certain seasons, have no bearing on your arguments for retaining subsidies. I know lettuce has 22%, or thereabouts, protein in the dry matter, but at 95% water I am sure anyone could find an alternative source to make up for the protein lost in the lettuce they would have consumed.

My wife and I decided last week it must be at least 20 years since we consumed any lettuce - the last time we had a prawn cocktail it would be, and we cannot remember when that was, but know for certain it is well over 15 years.

 

[Agrispeed]

The struggles in Europe have caused wholesalers to turn towards the United States for their vegetables, which is considerably more expensive. This had led to an increase in prices in some British supermarkets.

LESS DOMESTIC FOOD SUPPLY MEANS HIGHER PRICES FOR CONSUMERS

Except many of the thing that have suffered shortages cannot be grown in the Uk and certainly not in February.

CONSUMERS WANT TO EAT FOOD NOT PRODUCED IN UK

Boss, If the world price of wheat was £500/t, I assume you will accept £120 as you have claimed subsidy. You know, for your beloved British public.

maybe we should have a two tier system. You can get subsidy and only paid costs on your crop, or you can face world prices and the risk therin. How does that sound?

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Except many of the thing that have suffered shortages cannot be grown in the Uk and certainly not in February.

CONSUMERS WANT TO EAT FOOD NOT PRODUCED IN UK

Boss, If the world price of wheat was £500/t, I assume you will accept £120 as you have claimed subsidy. You know, for your beloved British public.

maybe we should have a two tier system. You can get subsidy and only paid costs on your crop, or you can face world prices and the risk therin. How does that sound?

no you silly fool, have you not been reading this thread, he is going to put sheds up each year to store the grain, then when it drops to £160 a tonne he is going to sell,
,and if the price is low, he will sell the grain, a grow lettuce in the empty grain stores to help Joe public if the weather gets bad in Spain
he has the public at heart,

 

[davieh3350]

no you silly fool, have you not been reading this thread, he is going to put sheds up each year to store the grain, then when it drops to £160 a tonne he is going to sell,
,and if the price is low, he will sell the grain, a grow lettuce in the empty grain stores to help Joe public if the weather gets bad in Spain
he has the public at heart,

No, I think you're wrong.
The shed full of grain will get run down and neglected, the roof will start leaking, the grain will rot, and that will be a perfect environment to grow mushrooms in, warm and humid. Far better food value in a mushroom than lettuce.

 

[Bossfarmer]

the point of the lettuce/cauliflower/broccoli shortage is that weather can have an impact on food supply, with population continuing to increase people have been lucky that world harvests have been good the last 4 years as demand has increased in that time, its only a matter of time until we get a run of poor harvests we need to maintain UK production

 

[Agrispeed]

the point of the lettuce/cauliflower/broccoli shortage is that weather can have an impact on food supply, with population continuing to increase people have been lucky that world harvests have been good the last 4 years as demand has increased in that time, its only a matter of time until we get a run of poor harvests we need to maintain UK production

Exactly and the best way to feed the population if we get a weather event would be to import. Very unlikely to get a weather event that effects the whole of Europe, let alone the world.

Another problem is the amount of food consumed that doesn't originate here - If you want to increase domestic consumption you will either have to ration, or tax imported foodstuffs, which I cannot see being popular, especially as many staples nowadays are imported, such as pasta, rice & a large amount of bread making wheat.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

No, I think you're wrong.
The shed full of grain will get run down and neglected, the roof will start leaking, the grain will rot, and that will be a perfect environment to grow mushrooms in, warm and humid. Far better food value in a mushroom than lettuce.

wow, you think there is going out be a mushroom shortage next year, don't tell everyone as they all will be growing them,

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

the point of the lettuce/cauliflower/broccoli shortage is that weather can have an impact on food supply, with population continuing to increase people have been lucky that world harvests have been good the last 4 years as demand has increased in that time, its only a matter of time until we get a run of poor harvests we need to maintain UK production

this is not a good reason to keep subs, we the buyer are part of the EU, them the seller are also part of the EU, both getting subs,
so would not be different without subs

 

[Dave645]

this is not a good reason to keep subs, we the buyer are part of the EU, them the seller are also part of the EU, both getting subs,
so would not be different without subs

the problem is if they both go out of business, your left with nothing. Subs or not, farmers still need a fair price for there goods.
And a fair price will vary from country to country, as lots of factors are at play.
And to reduce the risk of shortages, you need everyone you can producing what's needed, the old saying don't put all your eggs in one basket seems appropriate.
If the uk relied on the world less it can only be a good thing, over letting uk farming dwindle and increasing our imports.
We are always going to be a net importer of food, but what ratio is in our best interests. 50:50 or the current 60:40 where we import 40% or 80:20 where we only need 20% on a normal year. It was as low as only needing 16% imports, not long ago.

 

[Bossfarmer]

the problem is if they both go out of business, your left with nothing. Subs or not, farmers still need a fair price for there goods.
And a fair price will vary from country to country, as lots of factors are at play.
And to reduce the risk of shortages, you need everyone you can producing what's needed, the old saying don't put all your eggs in one basket seems appropriate.
If the uk relied on the world less it can only be a good thing, over letting uk farming dwindle and increasing our imports.
We are always going to be a net importer of food, but what ratio is in our best interests. 50:50 or the current 60:40 where we import 40% or 80:20 where we only need 20% on a normal year. It was as low as only needing 16% imports, not long ago.

the closer we are to self sufficiency the better, as long as food shortages are even a possibility the government must do the sensible thing for its 60 million residents

 

[orchard]

So you're actively supporting the increase of Crofting that your leadership champions BF?

the closer we are to self sufficiency the better, as long as food shortages are even a possibility the government must do the sensible thing for its 60 million residents

 

[FonterraFarmer]

the point of the lettuce/cauliflower/broccoli shortage is that weather can have an impact on food supply, with population continuing to increase people have been lucky that world harvests have been good the last 4 years as demand has increased in that time, its only a matter of time until we get a run of poor harvests we need to maintain UK production

If that be the case (ignoring the fact that you can't alter the weather ) are you going to pull finger out and grow those crops to meet the demand? Or does the customer need to accept the fact that out of season food or low yeilds are just a fact of life, hence imported food is required to fill the gap.