Farming Matters!
Farming Our Future
Agricultural Policy
Mr. David Hill; Devon NFU
a personal view
Farmers are used to working within the rules, but now the signals they are receiving are confusing.
The Future
of Farming
- where are
we going?
DEFRA wants farmers to pay to keep up the landscape (dry stone walling etc.), but to sell their products at world prices.
Consumers want ever higher standards but buy on price and choose the cheapest.
Farmers have been able to maintain the landscape etc. through the margin on prices in the past. That margin has gone, so have the subsidies which would have helped. They have been replaced by 'green' payments. If 'income forgone' goes then there has to be some reward for 'work done' (e.g. dry stone walling ) or 'not done' (e.g. not removing hedges)
Land and
community -
developing
links
The Future:
There will probably be a 'three way split'
- a) - Large dairymen with 150+ head.
This will be alright if the milk price stays over 15p per litre and they can work 12 to 14 hours per day for 7 days per week.
Will those who have been culled out following FMD actually re-stock? Some are wondering seriously whether to do so or not. - b) - 50 to 100 acre farms + secondary income.
This would include 'contract farmers', those who become 'hobby farmers', and those who are replaced by business people who can afford to farm at a loss. They would maintain the landscape. - c) - Larger farms/fields
Farmers cannot take out hedges, but they could just leave the sheep to do it, and not maintain the hedging and fencing if they are not rewarded for doing so. If people continue to insist that they want food at world prices this would lead to ranch farming. They will then lose the landscape and therefore will also lose tourism.
Farmers' Marketing
- opportunities
There has been a fundemental shift of power - from a point of equality to a point of fragmentation which is unhealthy. This must change, either through government action or by farmers forming co-operatives. The other alternative would be for farmers to take hold of the 'bottleneck' which controls the supply, i.e. the wholesale point.
lst November 2001
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