AIBU to think that the UK cannot afford farmers?

[purpleleotard]

Given that for some farmers on marginal land earn 80% of their income from subsidies.
Presumably the government, of any colour, will be looking at the cost of these subsidies when we exit the EU.
Will the population be expected to pick up the exorbitant cost.
Some 'farmers' are controlling huge areas of land for their own enjoyment at the cost to the public purse.
I am especially exercised by farmers in mountain areas like Snowdonia who keep the hills bare of the natural trees by running large numbers of sheep, when more sheep equals more subsidy.

I think we can afford farmers far better than we can afford to have to import ALL our food!

You want to import all our food?

As a farmer, YABfuckingU and I can't even begin to summon the energy to argue with such complete ignorance.

OP I suggest you sit down and have a little think about this

Is this going to be a future Conservative party policy then, and you are just testing the waters just now?

As a shepherds wife, I too question subsidy payments but part of the problem is the cost of food will go through the roof. Not because the farmers want more money, but because if subsidies are removed we will have to pay the real cost of food. Basically, subsidies allow us to buy cheaper food. Remove them and we have to pay the real costs as such they are subsidizing us as consumers as much as farmers.
This can be done and has been done in various other parts of the world. I wonder though if this economic climate is the right time to be increasing the basic cost of food, especially as food banks are already being heavily used.
On the other hand, subsidies are not just being paid on the number of sheep anymore. Land usage to protect nature is becoming a big part of how they're being paid.

We can't afford the numbers of farmers we currently have without subsidies.

Farmers should be paid a fair price for their goods

Everything I totally agree with you. I'm not a farmer.
What a stupid OP.

Where to even begin.

more sheep equals more subsidy

It does not. This was true in the past but payments are now based on the land owned. To claim subsidies the land owner has to be an active farmer, www.shropshirestar.com/news/farming/2014/11/17/are-you-able-to-pass-the-active-farmer-test/ that link is a bit old so not sure how accurate it is.

I think that we should see the payments as subsidising the consumer, who benefits from the cheaper food, not the farmer, who is producing the food. I can categorically say that, as dairy farmers we have stripped out as many of our costs as we can in recent years and even with subsidies we have made losses, or very little profit. We are able to continue because we increase our borrowings, or eat into capital, but that is not sustainable in the long term.

Yes - right.

We've run down our manufacturing sector. We've offshored our service sector. Sold off our utilities to other governments. Outsourced chunks of our public services. Let's just pack off the source of our food too......

Or why don't we wake up and recognise that we have to make and grow "stuff" to thrive as an economy?!

As a farmer, YABfuckingU and I can't even begin to summon the energy to argue with such complete ignorance. Same

Also, if we have no farmers, who is going to look after the countryside?

It won't just become a rural theme park, with fluffy animals judiciously placed for maximum picturesqueness, you know.

I think it might be necessary to spell out for the OP why importing all our food would be a bad thing:

• dramatic increase in food miles

• dramatic increase in food costs due to transport costs

• increased carbon foot print and contribution to global warming

• the UK becoming totally reliant on food from other countries - who could then hold the UK to ransom and increase the price of the food they supply

• buying more food from other countries where animal welfare laws, food standards laws, and laws in genetic manipulation may be less stringent than in the U.K., risking us ending up eating substandard food and/or contributing to animal suffering elsewhere in the world.

so op what would you rather happen to the land other than farming? and where would you want your food to come from?

Food. Security.

I'll just sell my farm with planning permission for lots of lovely houses.
The people who run events and use my fields as car parking will have to go elsewhere. We'll get rid of the sheep and you can import the meat from God knows where. All the people I pay for goods and services will lose out. Actually I'll be alright jack.

brasty, oddly enough this idea was about a few years ago - I can't remember who was pushing it. I'm not sure it was even party political so much as urban–rural political.

I even went to a talk on it. Memory is dim, but I think the speakers involved in overseas development (who'd seen first hand what happens when food security goes wrong) were... not keen.

I would say we have to afford farmers - and farming personally.

The countryside is the way it is (not covered in scrub) because of farming.

I am more peeved that it is easier to find British meats in Aldi than Sainsbury's fwi.

British welfare standards are about the highest in the world - I prefer low food miles and known welfare where I have the choice.

British farmers are far less militant than French farmers - no blockades of ports/motorways here.

Er. What?

Agree with Everything and everyone who's responded in similar vein.

In a sense I kinda agree with the op.I do wonder how the UK will afford to reimburse farmers who will struggle without eu subsidies. I work in a rural area and see both types, multi millionaire farmers who imo dont need the subsidys and others who are just making a decent living. Personally i predict the cost of food soaring. Or maybe the subsidies for the farmers wil be coming out of the £350 million a week the uk will now have spare pahahahahaha

Anyway once the Tories have got the American Trade deal up and running then kiss goodbye to UK high food standards, it'll be hormone beef and chlorine chicken and none of us will be any the wiser.

Wait, what? Is this actually being asked? I don't even know where to begin.

Glad to know our constant, constant back breaking work is appreciated though, OP. Yeah just get rid of us all.