Will Sean Rickard ever understand the CAP?

[Muck Spreader]

I notice that Mr Rickard has got his well worn speech out the cupboard yet again for the Malvern Farming Conference. Telling us that the CAP allows inefficient farmers to stay in business and when it comes to farm size big is best and bigger is even better. He evidently needs to buy some new economics books. Economies of scale are somewhat outdated in today's business world (last 20 years) where speed, market flexibility are now key, meaning small nimble business's that are constantly identifying new markets and products are now king. One of the bed rocks of the CAP from the 1958 Stresa conference is:- "preserving family farming and ensuring that structural and price policies go hand in hand."

 

[RobFZS]

why doesn't he just f**k off and sponge off another industry? If every business was efficient, there would be barely any jobs for the population, less tax, less quality of life because everything would be done by robots, so while he's taking a pay cheque from an industry that keeps the population alive, he can go do one.

 

[Chickcatcher]

why doesn't he just fudge off and sponge off another industry? If every business was efficient, there would be barely any jobs for the population, less tax, less quality of life because everything would be done by robots, so while he's taking a pay cheque from an industry that keeps the population alive, he can go do one.

I Just wonder what would be his fee for this mornings interview on Farming radio prog or is getting Cranfield institute in the forefront "MARKETING"

 

[RobFZS]

Just read what he's badgering on about in the farmers guardian, and what does he suppose happens to all these farmers that probably can't afford to farm if subsidies are taken away? more bigger monopoly farms which will eventually start to up the price for the consumer, he wants to get off the farmer's back and get on to every greedy barsteward that is taken more than their fair share of profit out of the job, just as bad as thatcher, f**k everything up now to balance the books and who cares about the future, because that's someones Else's issue.

 

[Jock]

Someone at the NFU must have been very unkind to him at some point as he seems to have had a vendetta against farmers ever since leaving them.

His spouting's are well worn. Obviously works on the premise that if you say the same thing often enough that eventually people will believe it to be true.

 

[jade35]

@Muck Spreader How could you ruining my day, I am generally a calm person but SR and the oily spokesmen for the supermarkets do make my blood boil. How they can twist their weasel words to their own ends is amazing and terrifying.

 

[Muddyboots]

I would like to know how such people as SR actually make a living because in my view he contributes sweet FA to the industry

 

[rob1]

I would like to know how such people as SR actually make a living because in my view he contributes sweet FA to the industry

Huge numbers going round preaching to others in most sectors these days. Think tanks, policy advisers etc etc, yet again brings to mind "those that can do" etc waste of space leeches all of them especially SR

 

[RobFZS]

Exactly the type of hangers on that has took all the money out of farming

 

[le bon paysan]

Sh1t Rick understands perfectly well, he makes a bloody good living arguing "his "/employers point of view. I think he is very effective , why was he not so effective at putting our side of the argument, when employed at the NFUse, would be a good question.

 

[Muddyboots]

Sh1t Rick understands perfectly well, he makes a bloody good living arguing "his "/employers point of view. I think he is very effective , why was he not so effective at putting our side of the argument, when employed at the NFUse, would be a good question.

Good question, he seem to me to be a very bitter twisted person with a massive chip on his shoulder and he makes my blood boil. If he wants to close down the family farm then he wants to close most of GB to agriculture, what sort of person wants that?

 

[billboy 1]

but if we got rid of subs do you not think every thing would balence out eventually I.e lower rents fert sprays etc then we wouldn't have to listen to him and his like and as an industry they wouldn't have the sub stick to beat us with without all red tape I for one would be keen to give it a go

 

[Farmer Piles]

To paraphrase; those that can, do; those that can't, make a living from mouthing off with controversial views.

 

[Muck Spreader]

but if we got rid of subs do you not think every thing would balence out eventually I.e lower rents fert sprays etc then we wouldn't have to listen to him and his like and as an industry they wouldn't have the sub stick to beat us with without all red tape I for one would be keen to give it a go

I think it would work for some, but SR would be right on one thing a third of UK farmers would probably go bust so rents would probably drop from that as well as the lack of SFP but it would have no impact on spray, fert or equipment costs, just check out the prices around the world.

 

[Muddyboots]

I think SR should have 75% of his income taken away and see how he likes it!

 

[tillboy]

I think he has a point.

If you are running a business, that business should be efficient and well run. And make a profit in its own right.
Taking less favoured areas out of the equation, why should that business be supported.
In any other business if you can't make it pay, it goes bust and move on.
Why should they be supported to stay in business.

Some people think that because own some land they have the right to farm and should be paid to do so.
That's a bit different to the attitude of any other industry, a bit like the coal mines in the 80's. They couldn't make money so where closed, ok it's a sh!t for the workers, but why should you sell something that needs to be sold at less than the cost of production and expect the difference to be given to you by the government/ EU.

 

[Muddyboots]

I think he has a point.

If you are running a business, that business should be efficient and well run. And make a profit in its own right.
Taking less favoured areas out of the equation, why should that business be supported.
In any other business if you can't make it pay, it goes bust and move on.
Why should they be supported to stay in business.

Some people think that because own some land they have the right to farm and should be paid to do so.
That's a bit different to the attitude of any other industry, a bit like the coal mines in the 80's. They couldn't make money so where closed, ok it's a sh!t for the workers, but why should you sell something that needs to be sold at less than the cost of production and expect the difference to be given to you by the government/ EU.

I see your point but most other countries subsidise their food production so until they all stop doing that then I cannot see how we can.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I see your point but most other countries subsidise their food production so until they all stop doing that then I cannot see how we can.

I'm not sure most countries do.

 

[Jackson4]

All us tenant farmers would be fluped... the land would be rented out to big dairy farmers, even if they still keep sheep on it purely because of the profit earned on already owned land. Any small outfit who thinks they will get more land because they spend nought (make nought) are kidding themselves if they think they can outbid bigger outfits.
I can see the economies of scale.... factory farms will produce food more efficiently! Its a fact! Try halving your numbers and see what happens. Well the vast majority (60 million) would get a little bit off their tax bill, but would supermarket prices come down? Already big farms in kiwi and oz are on the shelves for hardly any less? Rural places will be slightly poorer and depopulated... what would happen to the land owning lords and ladies when their big sfp cheque for there barren moorland doesn't come in?

 

[Thick Farmer]

I think he has a point.

If you are running a business, that business should be efficient and well run. And make a profit in its own right.
Taking less favoured areas out of the equation, why should that business be supported.
In any other business if you can't make it pay, it goes bust and move on.
Why should they be supported to stay in business.

Some people think that because own some land they have the right to farm and should be paid to do so.
That's a bit different to the attitude of any other industry, a bit like the coal mines in the 80's. They couldn't make money so where closed, ok it's a sh!t for the workers, but why should you sell something that needs to be sold at less than the cost of production and expect the difference to be given to you by the government/ EU.

I think it would have been better to subsidise the mines and keep people in work. Instead they shut them and everyone in the Welsh valleys signed on and started claiming disability etc.

At least prior to closing the mines, people went to work every day and had a bit of pride in themselves. And we got a bit of coal out of it!