Feeling sorry for farmers? ... screwed over by supermarkets?
Discussion
Had a conversation recently where I stated my sympathy for farmers in having prices driven down by supermarkets.
It soon became apparent that I didn't really have much knowledge of any substance on the matter.
The person I was talking to took the "no such thing as a poor farmer" stance. EU sunsidies were also cited.
Can anyone point me in the direction of any reliable references which will equip me with the facts?
Alternatively, any views or thoughts would be welcome.
Cheers,
Eric
It soon became apparent that I didn't really have much knowledge of any substance on the matter.
The person I was talking to took the "no such thing as a poor farmer" stance. EU sunsidies were also cited.
Can anyone point me in the direction of any reliable references which will equip me with the facts?
Alternatively, any views or thoughts would be welcome.
Cheers,
Eric
Demand = Supply
As demand will pretty much stay the same the only way supermarkets can drive down the price is because there is a large, too large perhaps, supply?
I don't know much about 'euro subsidies' or 'Common Agriculture Policy' (CAP was 46.7% of the Euro budget in 2006).
Perhaps there are too many farmers?
As demand will pretty much stay the same the only way supermarkets can drive down the price is because there is a large, too large perhaps, supply?
I don't know much about 'euro subsidies' or 'Common Agriculture Policy' (CAP was 46.7% of the Euro budget in 2006).
Perhaps there are too many farmers?
Farmers are always complaining about something.
Too wet, too cold, too hot, too windy, not enough subsidy, too much subsidy etc etc.
I remember in the 80's when they were told to upgrade their combine harvesters to enclosed cabins and they all went ape and said they would all go bust and not be able to feed their families etc etc.
It did stop me riding in the local combine though. My mum would know I had been as I was covered in dust!
Saying that. I am glad they are getting better money for milk now, sort of.
Too wet, too cold, too hot, too windy, not enough subsidy, too much subsidy etc etc.
I remember in the 80's when they were told to upgrade their combine harvesters to enclosed cabins and they all went ape and said they would all go bust and not be able to feed their families etc etc.
It did stop me riding in the local combine though. My mum would know I had been as I was covered in dust!
Saying that. I am glad they are getting better money for milk now, sort of.
They are big posh sods with plums in their mouths, and the plums have mutated and they have got beaks. They make pigs smoke. They feed beef burgers to swans. They have big sheds, but nobody's allowed in. And in these sheds they have 20ft high chickens, and these chickens are scared because the don't know why they're so big, and they're going, "Oh why am I so massive?" and they're looking down at all the little chickens and they think they're in an aeroplane because all the other chickens are so small.
I am friends with a local farmer (and we buy a reasonable amount of meat from them too as it is free range) - they are pretty poor. I know now how much cows cost to buy, what is spent on food etc for them and even how much they are charged to slaughter the animals. It is not an easy life for a farmer (at least these ones) and they are usually pretty close to the breadline.
When you say they have a 100k Tractor etc... well they haven't bought it for cash you know, it is financed and they are paying out every month on that too....
When you say they have a 100k Tractor etc... well they haven't bought it for cash you know, it is financed and they are paying out every month on that too....
I know quite a few farmers. They are as broad a species as "businessmen". Some are wealthy landowners and some are barely scratching out an existence on sub-minimum wage. Most are somewhere in between, as with most stereotypes.
The wealthy ones are the more visible but a small proportion. Most of the rest still don't need pity; they're doing OK. A significant minority are really struggling.
The wealthy ones are the more visible but a small proportion. Most of the rest still don't need pity; they're doing OK. A significant minority are really struggling.
Laplandboss said:
They are big posh sods with plums in their mouths, and the plums have mutated and they have got beaks. They make pigs smoke. They feed beef burgers to swans. They have big sheds, but nobody's allowed in. And in these sheds they have 20ft high chickens, and these chickens are scared because the don't know why they're so big, and they're going, "Oh why am I so massive?" and they're looking down at all the little chickens and they think they're in an aeroplane because all the other chickens are so small.
Not sure if serious.Laplandboss said:
They are big posh sods with plums in their mouths, and the plums have mutated and they have got beaks. They make pigs smoke. They feed beef burgers to swans. They have big sheds, but nobody's allowed in. And in these sheds they have 20ft high chickens, and these chickens are scared because the don't know why they're so big, and they're going, "Oh why am I so massive?" and they're looking down at all the little chickens and they think they're in an aeroplane because all the other chickens are so small.
Some are doing very well, normally those working on a large scale, others not well at all.
Something simple like pork, for example, is expensive to produce in the UK as we have welfare considerations for the animals. These have not been taken up yet in all parts of Europe and further East.
Even with that, pork production prices have risen to the farmer and are running at a loss in profits.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/03/01/2013/136988/UK...
Something simple like pork, for example, is expensive to produce in the UK as we have welfare considerations for the animals. These have not been taken up yet in all parts of Europe and further East.
Even with that, pork production prices have risen to the farmer and are running at a loss in profits.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/03/01/2013/136988/UK...
GTIR said:
Laplandboss said:
They are big posh sods with plums in their mouths, and the plums have mutated and they have got beaks. They make pigs smoke. They feed beef burgers to swans. They have big sheds, but nobody's allowed in. And in these sheds they have 20ft high chickens, and these chickens are scared because the don't know why they're so big, and they're going, "Oh why am I so massive?" and they're looking down at all the little chickens and they think they're in an aeroplane because all the other chickens are so small.
Not sure if serious.
I was told & this could be complete BS that for a cow for meat, a farmer gets paid around £1000, if he sells 100 a year that's £100,000, the one near us has his cattle outside practically all year round, feeding them on grass, which costst him nothing, he has so much land he just rotates which field they're in he has s
t loads of land he inherited as well as the farm house & nackered old tractor.
He must be fairly well off as both his kids went to a £10k a year private school.
t loads of land he inherited as well as the farm house & nackered old tractor.He must be fairly well off as both his kids went to a £10k a year private school.
[quote=croyde]A girl I know's Dad is a farmer. He is paid by the EU some incredible amount of money to keep his fields empty. [quote]
This is what I can never get my head around. Why pay them to keep fields empty of crops when we hear constant stories of people going hungry even in this country people are using food banks because they can't afford to buy food. Why not remove this payment and instead pay them for the crops, they would still be getting the payment but in return the EU would get some food to give to the poor or to export to Africa.
This is what I can never get my head around. Why pay them to keep fields empty of crops when we hear constant stories of people going hungry even in this country people are using food banks because they can't afford to buy food. Why not remove this payment and instead pay them for the crops, they would still be getting the payment but in return the EU would get some food to give to the poor or to export to Africa.
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