I spoke to the Express this week about the impact of unprecedented wet weather on farms across the country. As is the rule when this happens, we’re now experiencing fantastic drying conditions and farmers are facing to plant across, but the fundamentals remain that huge areas of winter crops are written off, many surviving crops are of poor quality, many late-drilled cereals will struggle to perform and much land (as at The GWCT Allerton Project) will be placed into summer fallow. This will all have knock-on impacts for the livestock sector, who are also struggling with turnout and grass growth. Fundamental questions have to be posed about the resilience of our farming systems in the face of extreme weather, as well as our ability to deliver on our environmental responsibilities, as well as food production. https://lnkd.in/eTTZcr_h
Rob Ward
6mo
U.K. Agriculture feeds the food manufacturing industry - combined these is the biggest single sector of manufacturing in the U.K. U.K. Farmer’s are essential to food security and minimising food inflation. But is it the tax payers responsibility to solely pay for farming losses that are the result of an extreme weather pattern?
Struan Cochrane
5mo
Joe Stanley, ARAgS it is so difficult to try and square this circle. I think it is better for the government to distance themselves from private entities. In a good year does the government claw back the safety net in a year like this? The output is year to year, but what about the massive uplift in the asset value over the last 10 years. Obviously not all farmers own the asset. My point being it's fairly complex. Beef and lamb and milk prices are at or near historic highs, and those that made straw are surfing their wave, so are the government to support arable farmers? When feed wheat was £250 a tonne I didn't hear the clamour to pay into a central disaster relief fund. The impact is huge, and it is correct to raise awareness of it. For me, it's more about the mental toll it takes on people within the industry, lone working, pressure to hold onto the asset at all costs, the admission of crop failure, debt cost rising, these are all huge factors we need to be aware of. Government financial support isn't the way to go. Although, if people aren't maintaining their infrastructure to some else's detriment then there should be consequences, in your example of Linc and the flood defences and dykes.
Angela Walker
6mo
I’ve always felt for farmers, at the mercy of the weather as well as politicians, world economics, disease and viruses. You need to be made of stern stuff when it doesn’t matter how hard you work, it can be wiped out in an instant.
Emily Egan
6mo
We've had so many calls for help already this year. Mainly livestock farmers with stock stuck inside, running out of straw, straw prices are astronomical, no let up in the rain and stress levels rising. Let's hope the sun is out soon. Next winter is going to be a real challenge.
Adam Williamson
5mo
I’d strongly suggest speaking with Australian farmers with extensive knowledge in managing variable climatic conditions.
alistair mullen
6mo
Real life Resilience and Adaptation. Wishing you power and fortitude and a bit of old fashioned good luck Joe
Co Founder & CEO at Persona with expertise in Enterprise Design Thinking
6moHi Joe. A quick question as I don’t understand the insurance market in agriculture. Is there an insurance against this kind of event? Logically it seems like something they would have a product for.