The Future Of Farming

[cheeky boy]

The problem with all of this is that there is no level playing field

 

Until every country in the world abolishes agricultural subsidies, no consumer can have any idea of the real cost of any food they buy

 

The Americans with all their talk of freedom & free markets are one of the worst offenders, thanks to subsidies from the US it is possible for Africans to buy imported tomatoes cheaper than home grown.

 

I know that I keep banging on about this, but for a small nation like ours the only hope is to produce high quality unique foods and market it to the discerning and well off

 

Think: Vascheran cheese, Kobe Beef, Pata negra Ham, Poulet de Bresse chicken. All of these unique products cost way more than their Tesco equivalent but demand outstrips supply every year

 

Stop subsidising generic foods and help farmers to produce some low volume high value, and factor in the PR value of having a world class product

[macmannin]

Practice what you preach sonny,now go back to frying your burgers.....

[gazza]

Its a case of either or, really: Either people should pay a fair price for agricultural produce, or farmers should expect handouts.

 

Except, of course, it isn't. Thanks to the generous idiocy of the European Union, we can get extremely cheap food AND not give farmers any handouts. That is a genuine option. Our politicians never give it a moment's thought.

 

 

well its a genuine option if u dont want any farmers in the EU, which will push the price of food up, in the long run,

you really dont understand food production and the way the world works do you

 

i forgot food comes from supermarkets thay make it by magic, it just appers in the store, its all ways there so why worry,

 

There'll always be farmers in the EU - the EU taxpayers will continue to be bled for precisely that purpose - and so there'll always be cheap food. It's the point of subsidising businesses that will never, ever be able to stand on their own two feet that I don't understand.

 

to be fair 90% of farmers in the uk prob coulden stand on there own 2 feet with out the subs,

what would u do, let them all go

 

The UK taxpayer pays for them. Not my problem

 

you really cant look out of the box u live in do you

[Tugger]

This is the box we all live in. The fact is that I am paying taxes to allow lots of people in a completely uncompetitive industry to carry on as they are. Farmers can start bleating when you are on the PAYING end of the relationship, not the SPONGING end

[thesultanofsheight]

This is the box we all live in. The fact is that I am paying taxes to allow lots of people in a completely uncompetitive industry to carry on as they are. Farmers can start bleating when you are on the PAYING end of the relationship, not the SPONGING end

 

Well Mr Gawne and the government have made it totally clear haven't they? The future of Manx farming is ... being paid not to farm.

 

They can dress up the bullshit however they like but that is the end result of this shift in government policy.

[mollag]

Can we take it then that even the Govt realises that local agriculture is of little use in the sufficiency of the island hence the option to see it go.

So can we see the end of that excuse for paying farmers to lose money.

 

Paying them to be rural gardeners, how effing sad to even contemplate it.

[homarus]

Can we take it then that even the Govt realises that local agriculture is of little use in the sufficiency of the island hence the option to see it go.

So can we see the end of that excuse for paying farmers to lose money.

 

Paying them to be rural gardeners, how effing sad to even contemplate it.

 

Par for the course I'm afraid

[thesultanofsheight]

Paying them to be rural gardeners, how effing sad to even contemplate it.

 

I pissed myself laughing when I heard the Board of Ag bod on the radio the other day saying that the farmers were the custodians of the countryside, and that they played a valuable role in keeping things tidy etc and thats why they were paying them.

 

I'm surprised that he could keep his face straight whilst spouting such a tired load of old shite. Your paying them to be gardeners because you accept that its pointless subsidising them to produce stuff anymore THAT'S what you're doing. End of story.

[Chinahand]

The future of Manx farming is ... being paid not to farm.

 

They can dress up the bullshit however they like but that is the end result of this shift in government policy.

Erm - the farmers will still be paid to farm - but only by the customers for their produce and without the government standing as a middleman adding a few extra pounds as the farmer produces the government regulated crop to the government defined quota.

 

By having the government involved in deciding which crops do and don't get subsidies and which are and aren't subject to quotas the market gets distorted, with waste and expense the result - as Cheeky Boy says IOM farms should be nieche players building high quality brands mainly focused on export.

 

Doing that requires a consolidation - fewer farmers - but the same number of cattle, sheep or whatever. That reduces overheads freeing up funds to build the brands etc.

 

Yes if you are a farmer who can't make the cut its tough, and its a whole different ball game to an industry mainly supplying product to the bureaucrats dictat - but as Mollaq says its madness to keep an industry which isn't sustainable in its current form going just for the subsidies.

 

And if that isn't what the farmers are doing now - then why all the fuss about this change?

[gazza]

This is the box we all live in. The fact is that I am paying taxes to allow lots of people in a completely uncompetitive industry to carry on as they are. Farmers can start bleating when you are on the PAYING end of the relationship, not the SPONGING end

 

 

there only on the sponging end as u call it, so u can affored to eat, without complaining

 

and how can thay be sponging when there made to take them, its not the farmers fault is it, its the goverment,

 

the goverment pay the subs to keep control over them,

 

i would like to see the end of subs across the world, and the food to be sold at a fair price that covers costs and makes a profit,

(bet you be complaining u cant affored to eat then)

I hope theres a world food shortage too, which in the next 5 years its going to happin,

really cant wait for that to happin as well

[thesultanofsheight]

The future of Manx farming is ... being paid not to farm.

 

They can dress up the bullshit however they like but that is the end result of this shift in government policy.

 

Erm - the farmers will still be paid to farm - but only by the customers for their produce and without the government standing as a middleman adding a few extra pounds as the farmer produces the government regulated crop to the government defined quota.

 

 

That is not entirely true. In effect they will still be paid by the government standing as a middleman BUT just not for producing food. In effect they are getting the same money but for totally irrelevant things like keeping the grass down and the hedges cut. Its still a subsidy Chinahand and its still being paid by the taxpayer its just now you don't even have to go through that strenuous process of growing something to get it.

 

Edited:

 

In effect Juan Watterson hinted at the perfect solution. Force Tesco's to re-incorporate over here and use the extra VAT raised from their turnover now being included in the common purse revenue share to subsidise local farmers who are being undercut by the likes of Tesco's. That would be much farer in my book.

[Chinahand]

[

 

Erm - the farmers will still be paid to farm - but only by the customers for their produce and without the government standing as a middleman adding a few extra pounds as the farmer produces the government regulated crop to the government defined quota.

 

That is not entirely true. In effect they will still be paid by the government standing as a middleman BUT just not for producing food. In effect they are getting the same money but for totally irrelevant things like keeping the grass down and the hedges cut. Its still a subsidy Chinahand and its still being paid by the taxpayer its just now you don't even have to go through that strenuous process of growing something to get it.

 

Agreed - but there will no longer be quotas and bureacrats making decisions to subsize some farm produce and not others which is what really buggers up the agricultural market.

 

Now the payments are explicit and not hidden behind some claim that the government is "managing" the farm market.

 

Oh and Mr Watterson - he's talking out of his arse.

[thesultanofsheight]

Oh and Mr Watterson - he's talking out of his arse.

 

In what way?

[bluemonday]

In effect Juan Watterson hinted at the perfect solution. Force Tesco's to re-incorporate over here and use the extra VAT raised from their turnover now being included in the common purse revenue share to subsidise local farmers who are being undercut by the likes of Tesco's.

 

Force?

 

I'm sure Tescos will be absolutely crapping themselves.

 

Oh and Mr Watterson - he's talking out of his arse.

 

Agreed. I know Tesco is very busy but make it difficult for them and they'll just walk away and concentrate on places with vastly larger catchment areas and less hassle.

[hboy]

Agreed. I know Tesco is very busy but make it difficult for them and they'll just walk away and concentrate on places with vastly larger catchment areas and less hassle.

 

I hope they do. Now I know that any VAT I pay is not even contributing to our economy I won't be shiopping there in future. Its a shame other people won't do the same.