Big J on radio 4..

[ESS]

10 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

There was a really lovely Valtra/roofmount/trailer setup at the APF that was 12 months old and had done no work (was essentially brand new). It was being sold by the dealer on behalf of the owner for many many pounds, and was undoubtedly worth its asking price. 

I can only assume it was bought with a grant and someone was cashing out (obviously this is pure conjecture!) as I can think of no other worldly reason for such a setup to be commissioned and not used/flogged so quickly. Nice little 20-30-40% profit for someone with the available funds and forethought...

Technically a proportion of the grant should be repaid, but just like most of the grants are regionalised and people abuse that by having the right postcode then working out of the area none of these things are policed after the initial inspection.

[ESS]

1 minute ago, monkeybusiness said:

I understand that, but how is it ‘policed’? I doubt it is ever investigated in reality, these grants are dished out to meet targets, it is in nobody’s interest to start the massive paperwork exercise undoubtedly involved in clawing the money back.

The whole thing is bullshit - let market forces dictate prices and business can follow. 

I agree it is bullshit, and is actually the worst thing that has ever happened to forest industry in my time in it.

[Ratman]

Being part of the EU and being dictated to by the EU fucked up british farming, which in turn brought round these subsidies/grants that some farmers now rely on so heavily. Which in turns brings rules/regs/conditions etc to qualify or be allowed/not allowed things. I blame the remainers...... or am i on the wrong thread here?! ?

[ESS]

5 minutes ago, Big J said:

I respect your experience in this industry, but I disagree with you about the extent to which rural planning exemptions should apply to rural workers. Presently, you have AOCs for people in farming and Section Q exemptions for very wealthy people to build luxury countryside pads. There is nothing else, and the narrowly restrictive planning policy denies the fact that there are many different ways to manage the countryside, and they are all important. 

Maybe, maybe not, but you are the one as a harvesting contractor should have the rules changed to suit your needs, yet other harvesting contractors can manage.

[Big J]

1 minute ago, Ratman said:

Being part of the EU and being dictated to by the EU fucked up british farming, which in turn brought round these subsidies/grants that some farmers now rely on so heavily. Which in turns brings rules/regs/conditions etc to qualify or be allowed/not allowed things. I blame the remainers...... or am i on the wrong thread here?! ?

Keep it clean! We already have thousands of posts going round in circles there - I want an entirely new topic for that purpose! ?

[Big J]

Just now, ESS said:

Maybe, maybe not, but you are the one as a harvesting contractor should have the rules changed to suit your needs, yet other harvesting contractors can manage.

They do. Just managing and being happy are two different things though. I would prefer the latter.

 

 

[ESS]

4 minutes ago, Ratman said:

Being part of the EU and being dictated to by the EU fucked up british farming, which in turn brought round these subsidies/grants that some farmers now rely on so heavily. Which in turns brings rules/regs/conditions etc to qualify or be allowed/not allowed things. I blame the remainers...... or am i on the wrong thread here?! ?

CAP was a good thing at the outset, but as I said in a previous post UK farmers became too good at what they were asked ton do, hence the goalpost moving.

[ESS]

2 minutes ago, Big J said:

They do. Just managing and being happy are two different things though. I would prefer the latter.

 

 

It doesn't have to be a case of just managing, I know contractors regularly working away from home, successful at what they and happy.

[Ratman]

On a serious note, all these smaller farms that went bust or are on the verge of, i hope in the near future will get their chance again to “earn what they earn” as you put it and generate a wealthy living of their farms again!
We moved out of our 50 odd acre rented farm in 1996 after 10 yrs because we couldnt earn enough to carry on and pay a reasonable wage to survive. Its got even worse since then, hence more varied subsidies and grants available for allsorts of things, which is what is getting your back up here remember. Sooner we’re out the better!

[Big J]

1 minute ago, ESS said:

It doesn't have to be a case of just managing, I know contractors regularly working away from home, successful at what they and happy.

Fair enough, and I'm happy for them.

 

I nevertheless feel that the current planning regs are not fit for purpose as regards to rural workers and others might well be managing, but it's as much because they just don't have a choice.