A public "good" must be paid for from the public purse

[matelot]

Because it's obviously the most important, and by quite some margin!

 

Why do you think farming is the most important industry? It's easy enough to import food....

[matelot]

So wot about all the relatively poor farmers sitting in tennent farms??

Someone mentioned a hill farmer in the lakes earlier.

Not all subs go to dukes. But dukes by there nature do tend to own large areas of

 

Why should the taxpayer prop up farmers that can't make a profit by themselves?

 

A lot of poor quality farmland should be planted in trees imho. The reason that it's not planted with trees is because farmers get so much in subsidies to keep sheep etc.

 

I'm not massively in favour of subs, but it was not designed by the farmers and they're just working with wot they've got.

I bet most farmers would happily get rid of them if they were guarantee'd a fair price for there produce with a level playing field.

 

What's a "fair price"? £300 for a lamb and £20 an egg?

 

 

And before anyone goes on about 'guaranteeing a fair price' how many on here would quote £200 for tree work and householder only offers u £100 u would walk away from the job, not so easyy when u've already done the work/grow the crops/raised the stock and have to sell it.

 

Sorry if a farmer isn't happy that he doesn't know how much he can sell his product for he should leave the industry. For thousands of years farmers never knew how much they would be able to sell their good for. If they want security they could maybe consider a nice office job with a salary?

[Dillinger86]

The issue is for me that a wealthy farmer/land owner can claim subsidies despite having 2000acres in hand so clearly not needing the help! We have 500acres of contract farming and we would be out of it if it were not for the subsidies...

 

 

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[eggsarascal]

I'm thinking about lobbying my local MP for guaranteed fair prices for drainage work. After all if people like me didn't keep sewers running we would have a massive public health issue to deal with.

[wrsni]

I'm thinking about lobbying my local MP for guaranteed fair prices for drainage work. After all if people like me didn't keep sewers running we would have a massive public health issue to deal with.

 

...........and quite right too. Time that people appreciated the important things in life that they take for granted. Mobile phones, Sky tv package, latest car, etc, etc, all window dressing.

 

 

Food on the table, water from the tap, working sewers to keep the nasty stuff out of sight and mind, all shockingly undervalued.

[wrsni]

Why do you think farming is the most important industry?

 

Put it a simpler way, which ones would you put ahead of it?

 

And no, I'm not copping out, I just don't have until lunchtime to list all the reasons why it is plainly the most important. Although I'm slightly shocked that you even question it.

[matelot]

Put it a simpler way, which ones would you put ahead of it?

 

And no, I'm not copping out, I just don't have until lunchtime to list all the reasons why it is plainly the most important. Although I'm slightly shocked that you even question it.

 

You're obviously making the point that we need food to survive. However there is no reason that we need to grow it all ourselves...

 

Like it or not most farming jobs pay absolutely rubbish money and offer poor working conditions. How many people does the average farm employ? Maybe a farmer and a tractor driver? How much will the tractor driver earn? £7 an hour?

 

I'd consider construction/ car manufacturing/ oil extraction/ banking/ insurance/ pharmaceuticals etc as far more important industries than farming as they employ more people and provide better paid jobs.

[eggsarascal]

...........and quite right too. Time that people appreciated the important things in life that they take for granted. Mobile phones, Sky tv package, latest car, etc, etc, all window dressing.

 

 

Food on the table, water from the tap, working sewers to keep the nasty stuff out of sight and mind, all shockingly undervalued.

 

I'm glad you see the importance of the situation regarding sewers and public health, however my business is not sustainable. Who should I contact about a subsidy?

[wrsni]

Who should I contact about a subsidy?

 

Who do you pay to do it for you?

[matelot]

I'm glad you see the importance of the situation regarding sewers and public health, however my business is not sustainable. Who should I contact about a subsidy?

 

You do an essential public service. As you're self employed it's not fair that you don't know how much you will earn week to week. You should ask the Government for a guaranteed minimum income of £1000 a week.