Countryside Matters Archive

Archive pages

Contents:

2001

Archive index 1999-2000

Archive 2001-2002

Burning Issues 2001 - Globalisation; Crisis and Recovery; Global Sourcing

Farming Matters - Facts about Farms, statistics for 2000, 2001

'Food' for Thought 2001 - Globalisation; The Church Post FMD; Foot and Mouth;
The Cost of Food Production; Transport and Travel; Farming in Crisis; Food Labelling

Foot and Mouth Disease - and its Aftermath

Main index

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Farming Matters !

 tractor
'Farming Matters'
Dec '99

Dec 2001

August 2001

'Farming Matters
Dec 2000

Facts about Farms

Deloitte & Touche and the RASE have published figures suggesting that most farmers work a 70 hour week for an average of £4.70 an hour (60p above the minimum wage - which rises to £4.10 in October).

In the two years to June 2000, 51,300 farmers and workers left agriculture.

Agriculture supported the direct employment of just under 400,000 people on 147,416 holdings in 1999 and of 374,000 on 146,000 holdings in 2000.(‘FMD; the state of the Countryside’ report, Countryside Agency August 2001)

The NFU estimates that F&M is costing the food supply industry about £250 million a month and predicts that thousands more will leave the industry.

In the twelve months before F&M the average UK farmer earned just £5,200.
Dairy farmers earned an average of £7,500 in the year to February 2001, a fall of 17% on the previous year.
Hill farmers earned £3,500 whilst lowland sheep and cattle farmers were in the red.
Cereal farmers earned an average of £4,400.
Agricultural borrowing is at an all time high of over £10 billion, whilst farming investment is at an all-time low.
Domestic beef production is estimated to fall by 11% this year, due to the F&M crisis.
The fear is that foreign imports will take up the slack in the market. The relative strength of sterling makes the UK market very attractive for imported products.

Although under 2% of the population is now directly involved with agriculture, in many parts of the country (including the rural areas of the South West) when allied trades are taken into account the figure rises to 25%. ( Allied trades include feed providers, agricultural machinery, vets, builders, seed merchants, etc.)

As we have seen during the Foot and Mouth epidemic, the whole rural economy depends upon access to, and the aesthetic / recreational value of the countryside, which in turn depends upon a viable farming industry. In the short term what is needed is solidarity and support which thankfully has been shown by many through the Addington Fund, the ‘Green Wellie Fund’ and others. In the long term we all need to do some hard thinking together about priorities. What kind of farming? What kind of land use? What kind of communities? What kind of countryside? The future of our beautiful rural areas depends upon our answers!

REMEMBER:- FARMING MATTERS!

see Weblinks for the NFU and WFU


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Farming Matters !

December 2000

Updated from 1999

tractor
Aug 2001

Dec 2001

For millions of people today 'food' comes from a Supermarket, but of course in reality food only reaches us via a huge chain.

Working backwards:-

  • The hauliers who bring it to the Supermarket or shop;
  • The processors who prepare it;
  • The buyers who get it from central markets;
  • Hauliers again;
  • Buyers who negotiate a price 'at the farm gate';
  • The farmers who produce the food.

Over the past 5 years farm incomes have fallen by 72% with the latest estimated figure for the year 2000 being about £1.7bn. This represents a fall of 27% over 1999.

Facts about Farms

The latest detailed figures will not be known until the New Year. However a recent survey of 149 dairy farms producing some 192 million litres of milk showed a loss of 5 - 6 pence for every litre from the average producer when all costs were taken into consideration. A total loss to farm businesses of around £1 million.

Estimates of hill farm incomes now available for Scotland show an overall increase of 50% compared with last year. However due to a dramatic decline in 1999 this works out at an average income of just £4300. Not even back to 1998 levels! Those relying solely on sheep had an average income last year of £700. It is expected that these figures will be reflected across the whole of the U.K.

See 'Food for Thought' for my comments.(Link at the end of this article)

As previously stated although under 2% of the population is now directly involved with agriculture, in many parts of the country (including the rural areas of the South West) when allied trades are taken into account the figure rises to over 25%. (Allied trades include feed providers, agricultural machinery, vets, builders, seed merchants)

In the short term what is needed is solidarity and support. In the long term we need to do some hard thinking together about priorities. What kind of farming? What kind of land use? What kind of communities? and what kind of countryside do we want our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to inherit?

Remember FARMING MATTERS!

Suggestions:- Get in touch with a local farmer and ask if he can organise an informal visit to his farm for you and your friends. If you belong to a church or a local group like the W.I. or Probus why not ask a local farmer to talk about his life and work?
If you live in an urban area get in touch with a local branch of the NFU (National Farmers Union), or the WFU (The Womens Food and Farming Union) and ask for their advice and help.
It is important that as many people as possible know and understand the complicated process and true cost of food production.

NB (March 01) Not now possible until FMD restrictions and controls are lifted
(If you fail to get help locally please get in touch with me - details on 'Home Page')

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1999 - Radical Changes etc 'Farming Matters'
2000 - 'Food' for Thought
More on Radical changes in the Countryside
Main index		NFU and WFU see Weblinks