Farmers Pleading Poverty Again

Chris75_

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/17/the-stark-reality-for-britains-dairy-farmers-milk-price

Littlefatfriend

It's a very difficult trade at the best of times, and this certainly isn't them!

🤓

Kimi87

I think unless you've worked in the industry or have friends/family that do, it's hard to understand the day to day reality.

I really don't know why everyone thinks farmers are all rich, especially when they are paid less than the products cost to produce.

Farming is a real vocation with insane hours and hard physical labour, 365 days a year.

Most equipment such as tractors and motor vehicles capable of driving on the terrain they farm are obtained on finance, or are exceedingly old.

If our farmers aren't paid enough for what they produce, they will go out of business driving up prices for consumers, and increasing the dependency on imported food which probably isn't produced to the same welfare standards as food is here.

Plus prices will probably go up as the importers can charge higher prices knowing they have no home grown competition.

Chris75_

I have never met a poor farmer, and I have met a few, and had one as an employer.

For all the losses, they don't mention the subsidies and tax wheezes.

michael57

I have to say the only poor farmers are the small old farms with pride

Chris75_

The one I worked for (haulage) would have made Ebenezer Scrooge blush.

I remember when the fuel cap fell of the tank whilst driving, I have no idea where or when. His solution wasn't to call the Scania dealership or motor factor, no; he tied a cattle feed bag over the aperture with twine!

michael57

all these big 100 thousand pound tractors are mostly on lease and as long as they are kept below a certain amount of hours for 3 or 5 years they get to only pay the monthly lease the dealer then sells said tractors abroad dont be fooled by reading there on hard times the subsidies they get would make your eyes water

JessieJ

An ex boyfriend was a farmer, mainly beef & even then he had top tractors & farming equipment, wasn't short of a bob or 2. He's still a farmer, same farm but arable & has a few 0's after a decent number in the bank.

Where we lived, we were surrounded by farms, the joke was, farmers had deep pockets & short arms, although, he didn't have that affliction. The one I helped out on weekends, before & after school definitely was! It is hard work, but enjoyable & a definite chosen lifestyle.

Chris75_

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1095701#Comment_1095701

I have hundreds of hours of experience on all types of plant. I would give anything for one more site to cut and fill.

For me, millions in the bank couldn't compete with the smell of hot hydraulic fluid and diesel.

michael57

As would I my friend if I had my life all over again I would still of done the same for a living

Catherine21

These are the people who feed us so you'd rather big cooperations take over all food supply's?? That's the aim to control the food chain so if they have a few bob and they work for it and work hard whats the issue blows my mind the elites buying up everything you won't be worried about how much farmers earn then when everything is controlled

michael57

farmers get paid per ltr plus extra for whatever cleanliness band they are in plus milk composition most uk farmers tend to go for the high yielding Holsteins but with the flood of milk nowadays since the lift of milk quotas it is now hitting them they are not doing as bad as they make out personally i would of transitioned over to the brown swiss that produce a2 beta casein protein milk better suited for lactose intolerance slightly lower yield but far better butterfat and protein leading to a higher pence per ltr

Catherine21

I get my order on Tuesday fruit salad eggs milk bread all the supermarkets food pumped with chemicals always disturbed me the shelf life of food chicken beef pumped with everything god imagine if could spend a week living life of the rich how fresh and clean thier food supply is so im looking forward to delivery Tuesday from farmer and ive ordered honey for local family company farmers are not hoarding the wealth are they ? They work so so hard isn't support them 100 percent some even unalived themselves with the sheer terror of thier family losing generational family farms uts in thier blood

michael57

like most things i would not take everything read or said in the news or news papers as a true reflection on how badly farmers are doing rented or owned