Post Brexit Agriculture
So what do people want to see ? The UK Government taking on the CAP subsidies to ensure farmers stay afloat while we work out what to do. Personally I think we should be growing more food in the UK and have less reliance on imports. We also need to address the supermarkets not paying proper prices for farmers produce. Which means we'll have to pay a bit more in the shops, but it's something we will have to do to ensure our food security going forward. Given the climate is changing and we simply do not know if our current supply chain from overseas will be robust enough to cope with the changes.This is a complex issue and I'm sure some will be more informed than I.It's estimated (see BBC Link) that without subsides 90% of Farms would go under and land prices would crash. All the Government has promised to do is pay subsides until 2020 and beyond that they've not said anything else.
DEFRA has done zero planning in the last 6 months by the sounds of things -
Defra: No Brexit farm policy research for six months - Farmers Weekly
Background reading -
Ewing calls for united front on post-Brexit agricultural policy | Press and Journal
After Brexit: What happens next for the UK's farmers? - BBC News
Subscribe to read The real problem is that our food is far too cheap and we have all got used to having cheap food.
What that means is that some of our farms have to be heavily subsidised or they would go under. Our food is not too cheap. We were paying around 8% more than world prices.
And I'm sure those at the bottom of the income scale would not welcome rises in food prices.
Food security is important but so is people being able to afford to eat. You have to look at the cost of production vs what the producers are paid by the Supermarkets and others. Dairy Production is a good example - Supermarkets pay below the cost of producing milk and that has forced a lot of dairy farmers out of business. Meaning we will likely see super dairy farms as they have in the US along with importing more milk from France as an example. If we don't get a decent deal with the EU on trade, then we can wave bye bye to cheap milk imports from the EU for a time. I know what I'm talking about as my dad has worked in the dairy industry since the 1980's. Muller bought Dairy Crests milk operations in December 2015 -
Dairy Crest finally closes sale of dairies to Muller
One of the reasons for Dairy Crest pulling out of the market is due to the price of milk being too low, which led Dairy Crest into making significant losses.
Most on the bottom of the income scale buy processed foods, unless they know how to cook and what to buy to stretch a weekly/monthly food budget out.
Food Security is paramount, there is no point in having cheap food from overseas if the exporting countries suffer from drought or a crop yields go down. Meaning they will likely reduce exports to ensure their own food security is maintained. We are not producing enough of our own food to ensure we have food security in the event of a global crisis be it droughts, war or the commodities markets going into melt down causing food price spikes. We are currently not self sufficient in terms of food production.
UK threat - Global Food Security You need to shop in Morrisons.
Morrisons to milk more from its ‘fair price’ farm range In that case it will force the supermarkets to pay more to UK producers and alleviate teh demand for subsidies for UK farmers.
Sounds like win win all around.
we haven't been self sufficient in food since the first half of the 19th century. so I'm not sure what relevance Brexit would have to the issue. Some food is cheap for sure.A lot of the wrong kind (junk) food especially.
i wouldn't class Fruit and Veg would or half decent meat as cheap though. Win win, because then the supermarkets pass on the additional costs to the consumers, we all pay more for food, which means more low income families having to get support from the government in terms of increased benefits and a general increase in benefits for the unemployed, raise in pensions etc to cover those increased costs.
That leaves all those families who are just above the limits for receiving help struggling even harder to keep their heads above water .... WIN WIN. I think I've heard about the 'fear' of increased food prices. Can't think where though, drowned out by the idealism of getting our country back (with a silent 'at a cost'). Food prices in the EU are 8% higher than world food prices.
Leaving this protectionist market would allow us to source food more cheaply.