Vat killing me!

[gdh]

Perhaps, as soon as Brexit is up and running, we should go down the same road as New Zealand, and abolish farm subsidies all together?. NZ did it in the 1980's and have never looked back. Can anyone explain how they can run a profitable business rearing and exporting lamb over here with no subsidies?

 

New Zealand has 30 million sheep and only 4 million people (I might be corrected on that) so the average flock is much bigger than the UK. Also sheep are left over huge areas of land, it's a very low input system but unfortunately not practical in the UK where farms and fields are smaller.

 

I'm all for an end to subsidies if the price would go up but a combination of free trade with Europe and continued support for European farmers would make it impossible to compete with them.

 

As said already farms can become more intensive to make money or stay as they are and maintain small fields and hedges etc. As with all industries it's tough to find a balance.

[Mull]

Animal welfare standards.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

 

 

Aye, well, that's another kettle of fish mark.

The more welfare you have, the more expensive your product is!

[gdh]

Aye, well, that's another kettle of fish mark.

The more welfare you have, the more expensive your product is!

 

Yes an example of that is in this country a sheep is worth £120, it gets ill and you spend £10 on medicine and an hour treating it. It then dies and you pay £20 to have it disposed of and go and fill in the medicine book and movement book.

 

In new Zealand a sheep is worth 50 and if it gets ill it stays on the side of a mountain.

 

Note that I'm not particularly knowledgeable on new Zealand systems, things could well have changed recently, that's just an example.

[daveindales]

New Zealand has 30 million sheep and only 4 million people (I might be corrected on that) so the average flock is much bigger than the UK. Also sheep are left over huge areas of land, it's a very low input system but unfortunately not practical in the UK where farms and fields are smaller.

 

I'm all for an end to subsidies if the price would go up but a combination of free trade with Europe and continued support for European farmers would make it impossible to compete with them.

 

As said already farms can become more intensive to make money or stay as they are and maintain small fields and hedges etc. As with all industries it's tough to find a balance.

 

Cheers, Gdh. Sort of answer I was looking for.

[Mull]

Cheers, Gdh. Sort of answer I was looking for.

 

 

What sort of answer were you looking for? Agriculture in Nz is the same as gb?

Surely not?

[eggsarascal]

What sort of answer were you looking for? Agriculture in Nz is the same as gb?

Surely not?

 

GB....?

[benedmonds]

Perhaps, as soon as Brexit is up and running, we should go down the same road as New Zealand, and abolish farm subsidies all together?. NZ did it in the 1980's and have never looked back. Can anyone explain how they can run a profitable business rearing and exporting lamb over here with no subsidies?

 

I think there was a lot of pain after the subsidies were cut, with lots of farms going under. Not necessarily a bad thing in the long run however.

[Mull]

I think there was a lot of pain after the subsidies were cut, with lots of farms going under. Not necessarily a bad thing in the long run however.

 

 

When were the subsidies cut?

[daveindales]

When were the subsidies cut?

 

1980's as mentioned in my previous post that you commented on.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Yes an example of that is in this country a sheep is worth £120, it gets ill and you spend £10 on medicine and an hour treating it. It then dies and you pay £20 to have it disposed of and go and fill in the medicine book and movement book.

 

In new Zealand a sheep is worth 50 and if it gets ill it stays on the side of a mountain.

 

Note that I'm not particularly knowledgeable on new Zealand systems, things could well have changed recently, that's just an example.

 

An example that is not limited to NZ despite the supposed UK / EU welfare controls, I frequently observe similar behaviour much closer to home (even seen the carcass picked up on the loader and dumped in the wooded swamp area which acts as a drain and feeds the water course....)