Rent too high for peak district farmers!

[chem1st]

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/financial-woes-of-hill-farmers-1-5049136

 

HILL farmers who look after the landscape of the Peak District are struggling to make ends meet due to rising cost of rent and livestock feed, and uncertainty over subsidies.

 

Farmers from the national park are among those who have taken part in a studies by the National Farmers Network and Oxfam.

 

The reports revealed cashflow problems have forced some hill farmers to take drastic action – cutting back on the weekly grocery bill and forgoing basics such as food – as well as slashing costs to keep their farms viable.

 

Robin Milton, National Farmers’ Union upland group chairman, said: “These farmers need respect as they look after the uplands on a daily basis and make sure these iconic landscapes are maintained and accessible.

 

“It is absolutely vital they are treated fairly for their hard work.”

 

Ironically, the ones that are renting are most likely renting land from landowners who receives agricultural subsidy (CAP payments) for merely owning land.

 

So whilst the food producer is forced into poverty/bankruptcy, the landowner receives subsidy on top of the rent for doing nowt!

[WeX]

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/financial-woes-of-hill-farmers-1-5049136

 

Ironically, the ones that are renting are most likely renting land from landowners who receives agricultural subsidy (CAP payments) for merely owning land.

 

So whilst the food producer is forced into poverty/bankruptcy, the landowner receives subsidy on top of the rent for doing nowt!

 

That does need to change. Looks like another scam aimed at giving more money to rich land owners who use their money to fund political parties, rather then the actual people who do the work.

[green]

I have a few friends who are farmers but rent from large landowners. Two of them have left the industry in the last couple of years, and the last 2 dont think they can survive much longer.

 

Its like watching the pubcos vs tenants debacle all over again.

 

[poppet2]

 

 

 

Ironically, the ones that are renting are most likely renting land from landowners who receives agricultural subsidy (CAP payments) for merely owning land.

 

Don't tell me this is another EU subsidy? i'm sure I read they even get a subsidy for not growing anything on their land!

[Rupert_Baehr]

Almost every time I've heard the words 'hill farm' they're preceded by the word 'marginal'.

 

Hill farming has (for as long as I can remember) always been a hard life, with low profits, long hours and filthy weather.

 

The EU CAP is a mess - and people have been trying to amend that for many years.

 

I understand that 12% of the land in the Peak District is owned by the National Trust, 7% by North West Water, 5% by the Peak District National Park Authority, (Here's a list of landowners.)

 

One of those 'greedy landowners' is Sheffield Council, so if you benefit in any way from the income Sheffield Council receives from its land in the Peak District, then you too are a part of the problem.

 

The hill farmers don't receive enough money for what they produce ... but isn't that, in part, due to the fact that the people who buy their products aren't prepared to pay enough money for them?

 

If lamb, mutton, wool and all other sheep products doubled in price (and if the farmers got twice as much as they get now for their products) then presumably life would be a lot easier for them.

 

But then, no doubt, this forum would have a number of threads bemoaning the increase in food prices.