So is this true?

The Agogo

‎"The worst threat to Irish farmers is not foot and mouth disease, but a postal strike."- Popular saying in rural Ireland, referring to Irish farmers' heavy dependence on government subsidy cheques to survive.

fontanalis

For small farmers I'd say so. Compare how much a young bullock/sheep costs and what it sells for, the time between buying and selling and cost to feed the yoke.

weldoninhio

I work for a bank, we get a lot of farmers phoning to see if payments have come in from the dept, its all electronic these days. Might have been true before, but not now.

Nolanger

Farm Assist?

mikom

The Agogo wrote: »

‎"The worst threat to Irish farmers is not foot and mouth disease, but a postal strike."- Popular saying in rural Ireland, referring to Irish farmers' heavy dependence on government subsidy cheques to survive.

Correction.... The worst threat to Irish farmers is actually a talking sheep.

Micky Dolenz

fontanalis wrote: »

For small farmers I'd say so. Compare how much a young bullock/sheep costs and what it sells for, the time between buying and selling and cost to feed the yoke.

I was talking to a small farmer recently and that topic came up, the price of cattle etc and how long he kept it before he sold. Was no impressed by the numbers I was hearing.

TheZohanS

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I was talking to a small farmer recently and that topic came up, the price of cattle etc and how long he kept it before he sold. Was no impressed by the numbers I was hearing.

How small was he? Maybe he could get a job in dwarf throwing?

fontanalis

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I was talking to a small farmer recently and that topic came up, the price of cattle etc and how long he kept it before he sold. Was no impressed by the numbers I was hearing.

I'm sure there are a lot of small farmers out there with less than 10 bastes (muck savage for beast/cow). I'm sure the numbers were along the line off; buy for 300 sell for 1,200 a year or 18 months later and spend twice the difference feeding it not to mention the hours put it. It's nothing more than a glorified hobby.

Ali Babba

TheZohan wrote: »

How small was he? Maybe he could get a job in dwarf throwing?

Being vertically challenged myself I find your statement extremely offensive......

fontanalis

fontanalis wrote: »

I'm sure there are a lot of small farmers out there with less than 10 bastes (muck savage for beast/cow). I'm sure the numbers were along the line off; buy for 300 sell for 1,200 a year or 18 months later and spend twice the difference feeding it not to mention the hours put it. It's nothing more than a glorified hobby.

Almost all the small farmers round here have full time jobs as well, the farm doesn't make enough to support them & their families.

One lad has about 50 acres and works 12-14 hours every day and just earns enough to subsist.

easyeason3

For a lot of farmers they are doing well to break even at the moment. And most of them get paid directly into their bank accounts. The only disruption they would get is not receiving department letters, which the majority wouldn't complain about.

Micky Dolenz

Ali Babba wrote: »

Being vertically challenged myself I find your statement extremely offensive......

Shouldn't you be at some throwing competition?

Mickeroo

Most of the government subsidies favour the big rich farmers,they generally get more sudsidy than the small poor one. More land/stock = more subsidy.

Dyr

Lets face facts farmers are always on the brink of extinction in this country. I've never heard one of them say "ah jaysus not doing too bad at all now" it would be agin everything that they hold dear.

Ali Babba

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Shouldn't you be at some throwing competition?

I'm on here aren't I? Plenty of sh!te flying around here!!

Rabble Rabble

mikom wrote: »

Correction.... The worst threat to Irish farmers is actually a talking sheep.

And armed cattle.

easyeason3

Mickeroo wrote: »

Most of the government subsidies favour the big rich farmers,they generally get more sudsidy than the small poor one. More land/stock = more subsidy.

Yeah but the more stock you have means you have a much higher bill to look after the animals from fodder, housing, medicine, testing etc & that's if you don't get an outbreak of sickness that will send the bills even higher.

dan185

Ali Babba wrote: »

Being vertically challenged myself I find your statement extremely offensive......

grow up

Liveit

I think im going to follow this thread because of all the townies trying to talk about farming

brianthebard

easyeason3 wrote: »

Yeah but the more stock you have means you have a much higher bill to look after the animals from fodder, housing, medicine, testing etc & that's if you don't get an outbreak of sickness that will send the bills even higher.

SFP isn't based on stock its based on land, so that stuff doesn't matter to it. the queen next door receives about half a million pound a year for all her land. There are golf courses and railway companies getting sfp money as well.

easyeason3

brianthebard wrote: »

SFP isn't based on stock its based on land, so that stuff doesn't matter to it. the queen next door receives about half a million pound a year for all her land. There are golf courses and railway companies getting sfp money as well.

I wasn't talking about SFP specifically. But anyone I know in farming has the SFP swallowed up with bills, bills & more bills. So while on paper it might look like a farmer is minting it in reality most of them are not.

Asset rich, cash poor.

Micky Dolenz

easyeason3 wrote: »

I wasn't talking about SFP specifically. But anyone I know in farming has the SFP swallowed up with bills, bills & more bills. So while on paper it might look like a farmer is minting it in reality most of them are not.

Asset rich, cash poor.

Most people I know are asset poor and cash poor.

Seloth

I think farmers are the least appreciated in this country.With a common false stereotype placed on them,as well as many disreguarding their role in the economy.Many say these subsidys are a waste of money and idiotic but for every euro given to a farmer by the government,in return they get back even more((I forget the name of what this is called,but its the same with business grants etc)).

In the mean time farmers are confronted by many rude and arrogant inspectors making ridiculouse demands.

The Agogo

This might sound like trolling, but it's not:

Are farmers just pretending to work to get subsidies? (By that, I mean, are there restrictions on markets?)

Like that whole 'painting-the-rocks-white-so-they-look-like-sheep-and-EU-give-me-more-money' type thing?

easyeason3

The Agogo wrote: »

This might sound like trolling, but it's not:

Are farmers just pretending to work to get subsidies? (By that, I mean, are there restrictions on markets?)

Like that whole 'painting-the-rocks-white-so-they-look-like-sheep-and-EU-give-me-more-money' type thing?

What?

mconigol

The Agogo wrote: »

This might sound like trolling, but it's not:

Are farmers just pretending to work to get subsidies? (By that, I mean, are there restrictions on markets?)

Like that whole 'painting-the-rocks-white-so-they-look-like-sheep-and-EU-give-me-more-money' type thing?

:rolleyes:

The Agogo

easyeason3 wrote: »

What?

It made more sense in my head


...I'm very tired :pac:

easyeason3

The Agogo wrote: »

It made more sense in my head


...I'm very tired :pac:

If it was easy as painting a few rocks white I'd be doing that

brianthebard

easyeason3 wrote: »

I wasn't talking about SFP specifically. But anyone I know in farming has the SFP swallowed up with bills, bills & more bills. So while on paper it might look like a farmer is minting it in reality most of them are not.

Asset rich, cash poor.

I wasn't disagreeing with you, just adding onto what you said.

mink_man

mikom wrote: »

Correction.... The worst threat to Irish farmers is actually a talking sheep.

anyone else not find this funny?

InTheTrees

Connemara is an interesting case.

There's few farmers left and those that are left depend on the subsidies.

All those sheep you see running around on the roads? useless and uneconomical. The meat is tough and the wool is coarse. Rememebr the haystacks? Gone.

What you'll start to see in the west and the more rugged areas is fields starting to revert back to scrub.

Its very strange to witness.

InTheTrees

The Agogo wrote: »

Are farmers just pretending to work to get subsidies? (By that, I mean, are there restrictions on markets?)

I know what you mean and to a certain extent you're right, they are made to perform some tasks though and there's inspections.

But the nature of a subsidy is to prop up something thats uneconomial.

And I think it should be.

easyeason3

InTheTrees wrote: »

I know what you mean and to a certain extent you're right, they are made to perform some tasks though and there's inspections.

But the nature of a subsidy is to prop up something thats uneconomial.

And I think it should be.

Like what?

mink_man

easyeason3 wrote: »

Like what?

like REPS, they have to have a slatted shed and recycle their silage wrap and have the drains cleaned.

InTheTrees

mink_man wrote: »

like REPS, they have to have a slatted shed and recycle their silage wrap and have the drains cleaned.

Exactly. An inspector comes and checks buildings, fences etc etc. Its actually pretty strict.

Its all coming to an end though.

easyeason3

InTheTrees wrote: »

Exactly. An inspector comes and checks buildings, fences etc etc. Its actually pretty strict.

Its all coming to an end though.

Inspections are sporadic enough given the amount in department of ag.
However I think myself that they will have to pay closer attention to welfare/ neglect cases from now on instead of nit picking over a fence or a register.

InTheTrees

easyeason3 wrote: »

Inspections are sporadic enough given the amount in department of ag.
However I think myself that they will have to pay closer attention to welfare/ neglect cases from now on instead of nit picking over a fence or a register.

Absolutely. REPS is ending. All those inspections and payments are going to end and the farmers will just meld into the ranks of the "unemployed".

Its pretty sad but its progress, subsidizing a lifestyle cant go on forever. And times have changed such that we just dont need what farmers in those areas produce. We'd rather have holiday homes than farms.

Gummy Panda

InTheTrees wrote: »

Absolutely. REPS is ending. All those inspections and payments are going to end and the farmers will just meld into the ranks of the "unemployed".

Its pretty sad but its progress, subsidizing a lifestyle cant go on forever. And times have changed such that we just dont need what farmers in those areas produce. We'd rather have holiday homes than farms.

but will the quality of our food supply go down? I thought the subsidies were to keep the quality high.

I haven't got a clue of how the farming industry works

InTheTrees

Gummy Panda wrote: »

but will the quality of our food supply go down? I thought the subsidies were to keep the quality high.

I haven't got a clue of how the farming industry works

Eek. No. you dont.

Take cattle for instance. My sis get a payment for the number of cattle she had when they deicded they werent economical anymore. She doesnt have any but she gets the same payment; so she's being paid NOT to raise cattle.

Shearing sheep is just for the comfort of the sheep. The wool sits in a barn until we bury it someplace.

mikom

mikom wrote: »

Correction.... The worst threat to Irish farmers is actually a talking sheep.

mink_man wrote: »

anyone else not find this funny?

A talking sheep that eats its own legs.
Happy now?

brianthebard

InTheTrees wrote: »

Absolutely. REPS is ending. All those inspections and payments are going to end and the farmers will just meld into the ranks of the "unemployed".

Its pretty sad but its progress, subsidizing a lifestyle cant go on forever.

It is the consumers lifestyle that is being subsidized, not the farmers.

InTheTrees

InTheTrees wrote: »

Shearing sheep is just for the comfort of the sheep. The wool sits in a barn until we bury it someplace.

Why don't you sell it a eco insulation, some firms make big money out of that business.

The Agogo

So how much of what we grow/slaughter do we actually eat?*



...I know: "typical Dub"

Executive Steve

brianthebard wrote: »

It is the consumers lifestyle that is being subsidized, not the farmers.

Can everyone just read this post again a few more times before posting any further replies?

starbelgrade

InTheTrees wrote: »

Connemara is an interesting case.

There's few farmers left and those that are left depend on the subsidies.

All those sheep you see running around on the roads? useless and uneconomical. The meat is tough and the wool is coarse.

Eh... sheep, like every other animal, breed. Each Spring they produce lamb, and Connemara lamb, which eats mostly heather, is absolutely delicious - possibly the nicest lamb in Ireland.

InTheTrees

starbelgrade wrote: »

Eh... sheep, like every other animal, breed. Each Spring they produce lamb, and Connemara lamb, which eats mostly heather, is absolutely delicious - possibly the nicest lamb in Ireland.

But they're tough black faced mountain sheep. But anyway I'm afraid you better put some in the freezer because their time is seriously limited.

My sister is still in the life and she tells me the numbers of farmers who make a living from it is dwindling fast and the nummber of kids in the schools who may become farmers is practically zero.

Most of her sheep go to the dog food factor.

mconigol

InTheTrees wrote: »

Eek. No. you dont.

Take cattle for instance. My sis get a payment for the number of cattle she had when they deicded they werent economical anymore. She doesnt have any but she gets the same payment; so she's being paid NOT to raise cattle.

Shearing sheep is just for the comfort of the sheep. The wool sits in a barn until we bury it someplace.

No disrespect but she had decided not to raise cattle and to simply take the money (which she is perfectly entitled to do). However a large percentage, if not the majority, of farmers use the grants to try keep their businesses and livelihoods alive.

The SFP (single farm payment) allows consumers to enjoy quality produce at a reasonably low price. As has been mentioned previoulsly this is as much subsidising consumers as it is farmers. It is possible to import cheaper products e.g. brazillian beef etc... however this often does not have the same level of production, quality assurance and traceability standards as european produce and demanded by consumers.

Irelands system of small farms has been shown to produce better quality stock, is more ethical and is far better for the land and countryside than huge ranch type farms. Farming is also a very important part of the social fabric of rural ireland. The slow decline of irish farming is a sad situation for an industry that has given so much to the country.

I'm very sure however that many farmers would prefer not to have to be subsidised and to recieve a fair price for their produce as well as for their work. However I'm equally sure that consumers would baulk at this as food prices would shoot up over night.

Oh yeah, InTheTrees, wool can be sold! You won't make anything but might just about pay for the cost of having the shearing done :-)

Misanthrope

The Agogo wrote: »

‎"The worst threat to Irish farmers is not foot and mouth disease, but a postal strike."- Popular saying in rural Ireland, referring to Irish farmers' heavy dependence on government subsidy cheques to survive.

No it's all liberal leftwing propaganda against the EU.Everything is fine.We are an agricultural powerhouse going at full belt to produce cheap clean food for the nation.All the produce you consume was farmed and processed in Ireland.

Don't listen to the hippies and lefties.They're making it all up.Keep shopping in Aldi and Lidl and Tesco and the lessr evil, Dunnes.It's all Irish, I swear

Seriously though, someone who owns hectares of land, not to mention machinery,needs handouts to survive............... really?Is that where we are at.What about apartment dwellers?They're not going to have a chance,are they.I suppose a definition of 'survival' would be handy at this point.

easyeason3

^^^^^^^^^^^

I was waiting for someone to mention those in apartments or negative equity properties not getting grants or subsidies. Just surprised it took this long tbh.

--Kaiser--

Misanthrope wrote: »

Seriously though, someone who owns hectares of land, not to mention machinery,needs handouts to survive............... really?Is that where we are at.What about apartment dwellers?They're not going to have a chance,are they.I suppose a definition of 'survival' would be handy at this point.

Farmers rarely own any machinery, it's bought on loan, using the land as collateral.

brianthebard

InTheTrees wrote: »

But they're tough black faced mountain sheep.

It doesn't matter what breed they are the lamb meat is not 'tough'. If you are basing your posts on your sisters experience as a farmer then frankly it is not surprising she's going out of business/stop breeding cattle.