Why aren't farmers seen as scroungers?

[Cismyass]

If someone is in receipt of benefits they are seen as a scrounger and if their business doesn't make them minimum wage it is seen as unviable. When some farmers receive huge EU subsidies and make very little money themselves through actual farming why are they seen as any different?

My dads a farmer as are most of my family and they all work harder than anyone I know...to enable people, like you to eat.
I can’t believe people are really this ignorant - absolutely shocking, you should be ashamed

Farmers are heroes in my opinion.
I just hope we don't end up with huge farming factories like in US.

I'm in Ireland.

I hope the US-EU food trade deal doesn't go through.
I don't want US farmed food filled with chemicals, thank you very much.

I know a few farmers who think that the subsidy system in the UK is screwed. Landowners not farmers get it. So there are landowners out there getting subsidy for their land and then renting the same land to an actual farmer who then farms it. So landowner gets two lots of cash for doing nowt.

Then when they die the land which with large areas could be worth millions gets passed inheritance tax free to the next generation.

I sat next to a farmer at a dinner a couple of months ago - it was a charity that both he and I happen to support

My work has involved 60 hour weeks ever since leaving university. I genuinely thought that there are very few people that outwork me. I discovered someone who works 12 hours a day every day. And every day of every year. He explained to me that he took a holiday once 28 years ago but he didn't really enjoy it and had therefore given up holidays

I was genuinely amazed at the relentnessness of his life and very much in awe. He does it because he loves it and because the land for him is something to be nurtured and cherished for the next generation and enjoyed by all creatures great and small

Here OP

Well this might be a more valid target; NI "Cash for Ash" scandal that riskes bringing down the government - www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38301428 basically businesses were offered payments for generating heat from renewable sources but there was no link to the need for heat IYSWIM and no cap. People (naughty people) spotted the loophole and made a fortune. Seems to be more of a case of cheating than most farmers. Buuut the government created the scheme and let it happen, so who is to blame?

To the original point, and having worked with farms there is a big difference between the small family farm and the huge conglomerates. Some harvest crops whilst others have a firm eye on subsidies, I think you can guess which kind of farms are better at reaping financial rewards?

Oh and while we're on it another more worthy target are your upland hunting land owners; www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/28/grouse-shooting-estates-shored-up-by-millions-in-subsidies who not only get loads of money for a rich (generally) man's game but also wreck the environment in the process. Twats (as Danny Dyer might say).

OP what did you think the subsidies were about?

I'm a farmer, my DP is a farmer, both our families, for generations, have been/are farmers. You have no idea how soul destroying it is when you know that, despite working our fucking arses off, day in, day out, we still need subsidies just to survive. We couldn't work any harder for our money but we're fucked over every single day by the big buyers. We don't have holidays, we don't have Christmas Day off, we don't get to go to the beach when it's sunny, we don't have weekends off., we're out there every day and more often than not, late into the night (and early the next morning), in the sun, wind, rain, snow, whatever is thrown at us, we have to deal with it and cope with it.. it's imo one of the hardest jobs you could do.
You, OP, are a fucking idiot. And I guarantee that if (when) those subsidies end, and we're forced out of business, like so many other farming families we know, and food prices shoot up, you'll be fucking moaning then too. As a pp says, I hope you realise how ignorant you are and feel suitably ashamed.

This has to be a wind up. No one can be this stupid.

I bet you’re the type of person who buys the cheapest milk or eggs from a large supermarket and then doesn’t understand why farmers are moaning about not having long term sustainable businesses

And FWIW, not everyone thinks people who claim benefits are scroungers

Please go and study economics

Are people really this thick?

Without farming there'll be no more

Or
🍪🌰🍩🍻🍼🍦🥧🍰🎂🥡🍾🥛🍵

That's why!

Wow didn't see this coming. I always have lots of respect for famers because they have to be hard workers to become farmers. I guess people don't associate scroungers with people who are hard working.

Are people really this thick?

No, I don’t think it’s possible to really be quite this ignorant and goady.

The most annoying thing about this is that you're almost definitely on the wind up. I'll always bite tho. When your heart and soul goes into your living, it's hard not to.

Because they work fucking hard.

My dog is a scrounger. It’s a very offensive term to use about anyone let alone a whole industry of people.

Perhaps people with no jobs and no intention of getting one should be farm hands for their government money!

"I really don't think the OP is actually saying farmers are scroungers. She/he is making the point that we demonise one demographic who receives subsidies but not another. Which is maybe a little too simplistic given the example but it's an interesting point. It's essentially putting no value on 'benefit claimants' without understanding why they claim in some cases."

Yes, that's how I understood the OP as well.
We need food and we subsidise farmers. Fine. But we also need carers. We need mothers to look after children. And yet we seem to resent when these activities are subsidised.

well once the substances go will you be happy puying £2+ for a pint of milk £2+ for a loaf of bread?

Supermarkets have so much to answer for they year on year reduce what they pay farmers (when they cut prices they don't absorb the loss they just pass it down the chain so the farmer gets less but the supermarket maintains the same amount of profit.

Are you alright?
Most people on benefits aren’t scroungers?
We need the food farmers grow?
It’s hard as fuck manual labour?

I don’t understand what you’re on about at all

Curious- who says I don’t? I could be a farmer for all you know. I don’t see that farmers are unique in any way. If an industry is not economic in the uk, we should not be taking money from our schools and hospitals to fund it. We can compensate poorer families for increases in food prices (in reality protectionism for uk farmers put prices up). If we take tariffs off imported food, prices will fall.

We have extended family who have had to sell their dairy herd due to their level of small scale farming being totally financially unviable.
They have reluctantly diversified and opened holiday lets/glamping units and a farm shop and are doing brilliantly on a monetary level but its not what they wanted. They are farmers through and through.
My point is that farms are meant to be our foodsource not bloody theme parks.
We need to protect our food supplies!! Already the UK does not grow enough food to feed its population.
Farmers should be able to farm their land, if this involves subsidies (because we aren't willing to pay proper prices) then so be it.
Whilst we are on the subject, subsidies should also be available for initiatives that protect our wildlife for all of us.