Why do we import Bacon

[Steevo]

The difficulty here is the population want cheap food.....and also want to be seen as caring for the environment (recycling, plastic waste etc.). They have been allowed to believe by successive governments that the two aren't mutually exclusive.

Unless the government are prepared to stand by their morals enough to make the price of food (and other goods!) reflect the standards/legislation they are setting then nothing will change.

The Vegan piglet thread, and the sewage sludge thread (both DM articles!) are a perfect example of this imo.

 

[Steevo]

Sounds like we could do with a section for food on Farm Marketplace.

 

[DrWazzock]

Just a question, who is going to do the shitty jobs like intensive hens and pigs when you don’t have many Poles any more?

Indians, Philipinos, etc as they do in the NHS now. Plenty of people only too willing to come here and work given half a chance.
Poles will still be welcome as well, I'm sure. Why wouldn't they be?

 

[Frodo2]

The difficulty here is the population want cheap food.....and also want to be seen as caring for the environment (recycling, plastic waste etc.). They have been allowed to believe by successive governments that the two aren't mutually exclusive.

Unless the government are prepared to stand by their morals enough to make the price of food (and other goods!) reflect the standards/legislation they are setting then nothing will change.

The Vegan piglet thread, and the sewage sludge thread (both DM articles!) are a perfect example of this imo.

Not sure how the believe consumer wants cheap food squares with fact we are importing the most expensive cuts.

 

[borderterribles]

whats all that white scummy sh*t that comes out of supermarket bacon when you fry it

It is partly water from the brine that wet cured Bacon is injected with and partly the fluids that are naturally within the meat. It happens to a much lesser extent with dry cured Bacon , but still can occur IF it hasn't been hung up to dry out after curing. As the Bacon dries, it loses moisture and therefore loses weight. This is the knub of it all, as weight is profit! As we tell our customers, we dry our Bacon so that it shrinks with us and not with them!

 

[Henarar]

Just a question, who is going to do the shitty jobs like intensive hens and pigs when you don’t have many Poles any more?

I know 3 pig farmers with only a british workforce

 

[czechmate]

I know 3 pig farmers with only a british workforce

The infamy of zummerzet goes before it

 

[czechmate]

Indians, Philipinos, etc as they do in the NHS now. Plenty of people only too willing to come here and work given half a chance.
Poles will still be welcome as well, I'm sure. Why wouldn't they be?

The exchange rate doesn't work for them
They don't feel welcome anymore
You will control the numbers (there was a vote in June 16)

 

[Henarar]

The infamy of zummerzet goes before it

before what ?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Why is it not o.k to import bacon but it is o.k to import all our farm machinery and I ask this as a pig farmer

If british companies can produce machinery that farmers want to buy then they should not import it . I cant find a British car for instance that will compete with a Merc .
Can you produce bacon as good as Danish . I dont eat Bacon so you tell me

 

[M-J-G]

oh i did - as I say I don't think we should import / export cereals either unless local / domestic is not available

we are screwing up this planet rather nicely with this nonsense

Maybe it would be a good lesson in producing goods / food etc for available markets vs just producing regardless


simple way to do this is put Huge tax on fuel for shipping and airfreight etc

Then machinery, electrical goods, cars, clothes, fuel etc would all increase in price.

No government will risk upsetting the general public in order to save a few pig or beef farmers.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

I know 3 pig farmers with only a british workforce

My four employees are all British.
Two are foreign though as they come all the way from Norfolk.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

If british companies can produce machinery that farmers want to buy then they should not import it . I cant find a British car for instance that will compete with a Merc .
Can you produce bacon as good as Danish . I dont eat Bacon so you tell me

Dry cured British bacon (preferably streaky) is better than any Danish.

 

[M-J-G]

If british companies can produce machinery that farmers want to buy then they should not import it . I cant find a British car for instance that will compete with a Merc .
Can you produce bacon as good as Danish . I dont eat Bacon so you tell me

So it's a matter of choice then.

 

[czechmate]

before what ?

Before they make their plans

 

[czechmate]

Dry cured British bacon (preferably streaky) is better than any Danish.

Dry cured British bacon (preferably streaky) is better than any Danish.

According to this thread, get Brits buying bellies and you don't have a problem

 

[Lowland1]

If british companies can produce machinery that farmers want to buy then they should not import it . I cant find a British car for instance that will compete with a Merc .
Can you produce bacon as good as Danish . I dont eat Bacon so you tell me

We produce pigs good ones however bacon is a processed product. I do feel however that if you want public support you have to support the public. You want them to buy British so should you however in a lot of cases that ship has sailed

 

[Steevo]

Not sure how the believe consumer wants cheap food squares with fact we are importing the most expensive cuts.

People want both because they are are told (or led to assume!) they can have it.

KFC chicken on the bone is British. KFC breast meat is imported in order to keep the price down to a competitive level.

KFC just sell you chicken....most people probably don’t know it comes from different places. Most probably don’t even care either, sadly.

What is the environmental footprint of each?

The UK consumer is very price conscious......they walk into a supermarket and buy the things on their list almost purely on price....and branding/marketing!

Environmental impact is left almost entirely to the government to sort.

 

[Steevo]

Then machinery, electrical goods, cars, clothes, fuel etc would all increase in price.

No government will risk upsetting the general public in order to save a few pig or beef farmers.

Which shows a case of double standards.

The electorate aren’t as keen on environmental issues as they like to claim. They want it.....but won’t put their hand in their pocket as they believe it’s for the government to sort.

 

[Chasingmytail]

nothing worse than going to a nice cafe to see them with a delivery of slabs of cheapo bacon from God knows where (seen similar in the local livestock market cafe too). Same goes for those all day breakfast wagons the smell makes me want to vom. There is a nasty smell from that bacon.