6% increase in farm income and other propaganda

mossleycnoc

Firstly, I'm not a farmer but was brought up on one and realise that its hard work and none too profitable. However, I am seething after watching RTE News that is claiming average income is up 6% with Dairy Farmers earning an average of 69,000 Euros and average subsidies 19,000. The fact that less than 20% of farmers earned 50,000 or more suggests that RTE and Teagasc are spinning mean averages and not understanding the median- in short: rather a bit of propaganda and spin going on.

Am I alone in getting fed up of RTE non-news.

freedominacup

mossleycnoc wrote: »

Firstly, I'm not a farmer but was brought up on one and realise that its hard work and none too profitable. However, I am seething after watching RTE News that is claiming average income is up 6% with Dairy Farmers earning an average of 69,000 Euros and average subsidies 19,000. The fact that less than 20% of farmers earned 50,000 or more suggests that RTE and Teagasc are spinning mean averages and not understanding the median- in short: rather a bit of propaganda and spin going on.

Am I alone in getting fed up of RTE non-news.

RTE are a long way from the only non-news news organisation reporting on agri news.

Dawggone

RTÉ are a semi-state body...he who pays the piper...
Is there an election coming up??
Look how farmers have prospered during 'our' time in power!!...

Likewise will Newstalk ever stop going on about DOB and Siteserv?

Funny, a 'national treasure' passed away yesterday (a man I enjoyed and respected!) who had a very successful PR company resulting from his position in the State Broadcaster...


I'm hearing that DOB's Topaz will win the tender for the motorway service station contracts...

Same old Shyte!

Nekarsulm

Dawggone wrote: »

RTÉ are a semi-state body...he who pays the piper...
Is there an election coming up??
Look how farmers have prospered during 'our' time in power!!...

Likewise will Newstalk ever stop going on about DOB and Siteserv?

Funny, a 'national treasure' passed away yesterday (a man I enjoyed and respected!) who had a very successful PR company resulting from his position in the State Broadcaster...


I'm hearing that DOB's Topaz will win the tender for the motorway service station contracts...

Same old Shyte!

Either him, or Larry Goodman's gossoon/garson

kowtow

Dawggone wrote: »

RTÉ are a semi-state body...he who pays the piper...

Funny, a 'national treasure' passed away yesterday (a man I enjoyed and respected!) who had a very successful PR company resulting from his position in the State Broadcaster...


I'm hearing that DOB's Topaz will win the tender for the motorway service station contracts...

Same old Shyte!

So the national treasures took the national treasure?

Best summary of the Irish economy I ever heard.

Base price

Dawggone wrote: »

RTÉ are a semi-state body...he who pays the piper...
Is there an election coming up??
Look how farmers have prospered during 'our' time in power!!...

Likewise will Newstalk ever stop going on about DOB and Siteserv?

Funny, a 'national treasure' passed away yesterday (a man I enjoyed and respected!) who had a very successful PR company resulting from his position in the State Broadcaster...


I'm hearing that DOB's Topaz will win the tender for the motorway service station contracts...

Same old Shyte!

I heard that Applegreen (& Co) had that nod

Dawggone

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Either him, or Larry Goodman's gossoon.

Geldof's Boomtown Rats had a song about that kind of thing...:)

Nekarsulm

Base price wrote: »

I heard that Applegreen (& Co) had that nod

I rest my case. :rolleyes:

Dawggone

Base price wrote: »

I heard that Applegreen (& Co) had that nod

Wanna bet?
Who's in power?

Bellview

Pity Teagasc did not consider that they should be independent representing farmers rather than selling themselves out to private entities and then recommending to farmers the results are best practise...as it suits the piper

Suckler

mossleycnoc wrote: »

Firstly, I'm not a farmer but was brought up on one and realise that its hard work and none too profitable.

If a business, and farming is a business, is not profitable then it should cease operating. Plenty of companies across a wide spectrum of sectors experience peaks and troughs (excuse the pun) but if a farm is constantly not performing financially, sell it and move on. Nobody owe's a farmer a living.

Sam Kade

Suckler wrote: »

If a business, and farming is a business, is not profitable then it should cease operating. Plenty of companies across a wide spectrum of sectors experience peaks and troughs (excuse the pun) but if a farm is constantly not performing financially, sell it and move on. Nobody owe's a farmer a living.

Hold your high horse there a minute preacher he said not too profitable he never said not making a profit or constantly losing money.

enricoh

The trade unions that run rte probably thought it'd help show that everyone is flying again and add another string to their bow when they are in tough negotiations with that ex trade unionist howlin in a week or two!

kowtow

Suckler wrote: »

If a business ..... is not profitable then it should cease operating.

Unless it is a bank, presumably.

Dawggone

kowtow wrote: »

Unless it is a bank, presumably.

Too big to fail.

Muckit

kowtow wrote: »

Unless it is a bank, presumably.

'Spring' 2013 a lot of farmers could a done with a 'bale out'

Connemara Farmer

I didn't catch the full interview but there was a Teagasc guy on radio yesterday evening basically hoping that a recovering economy would provide off farm jobs for farmers. I genuinely found that a quite sad state of affairs coming from a farm advisory body. More creative thinking and marketing required, it looks pretty obvious there's a lot wrong.

Suckler

Sam Kade wrote: »

Hold your high horse there a minute preacher he said not too profitable he never said not making a profit or constantly losing money.

Yes but if he's not happy with the income from small farms are making same applies. The 6% increase may be a bit simplistic but to portray it as propaganda is nonsense - most small farms not making as much as big farms - so what?

kowtow wrote: »

Unless it is a bank, presumably.

It's like Del boy said to Rodney & Mickey Pierce when he flogged them a heap of knackered old engines -
"Find yourself a couple of wallys with cash on the hip"

If you can find an "investor" ready and willing to pump a couple of million in to a black hole of a farm you'd have the pen out sharp enough.

Dawggone

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I didn't catch the full interview but there was a Teagasc guy on radio yesterday evening basically hoping that a recovering economy would provide off farm jobs for farmers. I genuinely found that a quite sad state of affairs coming from a farm advisory body. More creative thinking and marketing required, it looks pretty obvious there's a lot wrong.

It would be a good start if Kenny and Noonan called in all the large food retailers and 'suggested' that they source all produce locally.
It's been done in other countries.

ganmo

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/irelands-average-farmer-revealed/

Sheep farmer incomes were also up, 24%, but from a significantly low base

Nice to know I'm not average though

bogman_bass

mossleycnoc wrote: »

Firstly, I'm not a farmer but was brought up on one and realise that its hard work and none too profitable. However, I am seething after watching RTE News that is claiming average income is up 6% with Dairy Farmers earning an average of 69,000 Euros and average subsidies 19,000. The fact that less than 20% of farmers earned 50,000 or more suggests that RTE and Teagasc are spinning mean averages and not understanding the median- in short: rather a bit of propaganda and spin going on.

Am I alone in getting fed up of RTE non-news.

Am I missing something here? What exactly are you annoyed about?

Deepsouthwest

Dawggone wrote: »

It would be a good start if Kenny and Noonan called in all the large food retailers and 'suggested' that they source all produce locally.
It's been done in other countries.

Super suggestion Dawg

joejobrien

Dawggone wrote: »

It would be a good start if Kenny and Noonan called in all the large food retailers and 'suggested' that they source all produce locally.
It's been done in other countries.

What has been the impact of this,in other countries, Dawn?
Then there competition athurority todeal with:D, then .......succumb to the high shelf im afraid. There isnt much will on that side. Perhaps if private enterprise was allowed ,:(it maybe different?

kowtow

joejobrien wrote: »

What has been the impact of this,in other countries, Dawn?
Then there competition athurority todeal with:D, then .......succumb to the high shelf im afraid. There isnt much will on that side. Perhaps if private enterprise was allowed ,:(it maybe different?

One thing which always impressed me in Switzerland was that even the larger supermarket chains - migros and co-op - always carried the local village produce (milk, cheese, sausage etc.) alongside / in front of the "national" packaged brands. When I enquired, the reason for *not* doing this, in the UK at least, was the complex logistics of running a supermarket with central distribution depots etc. at motorway hubs.

Which begins to look like a lame excuse when you consider that the Swiss supermarkets I am thinking of are 1100 odd metres above sea level, on the wrong side of mountain passes which are covered in snow for five months of every year.

Strikes me that supervalu do a good job of this in Ireland, the others not so much.

Dawggone

joejobrien wrote: »

What has been the impact of this,in other countries, Dawn?
Then there competition athurority todeal with:D, then .......succumb to the high shelf im afraid. There isnt much will on that side. Perhaps if private enterprise was allowed ,:(it maybe different?

It's the policy of the major supermarkets in France.
Carrefour/SuperU/HyperU/Intermarché/LeClerc etc all have a policy of sourcing products from within a 50km radius. It cannot be legislated because of free trade agreements within the Eu.
Government brought in all the major players a few years back and strongly suggested that they source locally.

Works brilliantly for all food producers.
Farmers don't have to compete with chicken from Thailand etc etc.

joejobrien

kowtow wrote: »

One thing which always impressed me in Switzerland was that even the larger supermarket chains - migros and co-op - always carried the local village produce (milk, cheese, sausage etc.) alongside / in front of the "national" packaged brands. When I enquired, the reason for *not* doing this, in the UK at least, was the complex logistics of running a supermarket with central distribution depots etc. at motorway hubs.

Which begins to look like a lame excuse when you consider that the Swiss supermarkets I am thinking of are 1100 odd metres above sea level, on the wrong side of mountain passes which are covered in snow for five months of every year.

Strikes me that supervalu do a good job of this in Ireland, the others not so much.

Top class answer.
That proves my point exactly that its our gob****e :(that run this country

joejobrien

Dawggone wrote: »

It's the policy of the major supermarkets in France.
Carrefour/SuperU/HyperU/Intermarché/LeClerc etc all have a policy of sourcing products from within a 50km radius. It cannot be legislated because of free trade agreements within the Eu.
Government brought in all the major players a few years back and strongly suggested that they source locally.

Works brilliantly for all food producers.
Farmers don't have to compete with chicken from Thailand etc etc.

Great to see some real forward thinking business stragety been used.
If only a bit of same would apply here.:rolleyes:

Dawggone

joejobrien wrote: »

Great to see some real forward thinking business stragety been used.
If only a bit of same would apply here.:rolleyes:

Afraid to say that big business runs Ireland.
Great to see that DOB was getting money from IBRC for 1.5% on a 'verbal' agreement.


Rotten to the core!

rangler1

Dawggone wrote: »

It's the policy of the major supermarkets in France.
Carrefour/SuperU/HyperU/Intermarché/LeClerc etc all have a policy of sourcing products from within a 50km radius. It cannot be legislated because of free trade agreements within the Eu.
Government brought in all the major players a few years back and strongly suggested that they source locally.

Works brilliantly for all food producers.
Farmers don't have to compete with chicken from Thailand etc etc.

Right ...that's 20% of our produce sorted....what do we do with the other 80% if everyone wants to source product locally.
What percentage of Frances production has to be exported...unlikely to be 80%

Dawggone

rangler1 wrote: »

Right ...that's 20% of our produce sorted....what do we do with the other 80% if everyone wants to source product locally.
What percentage of Frances production has to be exported...unlikely to be 80%

I've no idea rangler, but it's a good start, wouldn't you think?
I'm thinking that if Irish retailers supported local it would create openings for the smaller farms and increase production from rural Ireland.

Btw France would be a fairly big exporter of commodities and a big player in processed foods.



My post was in reply to Commemara farmer....

Bullocks

Dawggone wrote: »

I've no idea rangler, but it's a good start, wouldn't you think?
I'm thinking that if Irish retailers supported local it would create openings for the smaller farms and increase production from rural Ireland.

Btw France would be a fairly big exporter of commodities and a big player in processed foods.



My post was in reply to Commemara farmer....

Is there a benefit with carbon footprint aswell by having more local produce used by supermarkets or does that come into it ?

Dawggone

Bullocks wrote: »

Is there a benefit with carbon footprint aswell by having more local produce used by supermarkets or does that come into it ?

Carbon footprint doesn't come into it Bullocks.
Netto, Aldi and Lidl have not agreed to the local sourcing policy. Nobody shops there. It's a mindset.

Tesco have 'treasure Ireland' for a good reason...

Maybe the IFA could start the ball rolling...:)

Bullocks

Dawggone wrote: »

Maybe the IFA could start the ball rolling...:)

I'd say they'll be onto it straight away!

Connemara Farmer

Dawggone wrote: »

My post was in reply to Commemara farmer....

Am I causing trouble without trying again

Dawggone

Bullocks wrote: »

I'd say they'll be onto it straight away!

High level meetings are ongoing...!


Is it even imaginable that the IFA would even pursue such a policy?....


Lookit I'm wronging the IFA somewhat because without them a lot more would be wrong in Irish agriculture. Credit where credit is due...

Dawggone

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Am I causing trouble without trying again

Definitely not!

rangler1

Dawggone wrote: »

Carbon footprint doesn't come into it Bullocks.
Netto, Aldi and Lidl have not agreed to the local sourcing policy. Nobody shops there. It's a mindset.

Tesco have 'treasure Ireland' for a good reason...

Maybe the IFA could start the ball rolling...:)

That's ironic, Lidl and aldi are good supporters of irish produce here, even the processors claim they are a lot less demanding and fairer than Tesco.
Also IFA are constantly meeting supermarkets.

Dawggone

rangler1 wrote: »

That's ironic, Lidl and aldi are good supporters of irish produce here, even the processors claim they are a lot less demanding and fairer than Tesco

Your post is self explanatory rangler...

Tesco...Treasure Ireland!...are you having a laugh?:):)



Do you (and the IFA) really believe the hype??

frazzledhome

It's ironic really, we want to protect our own by keeping out others and on the other hand we expect our produce to be bought overseas.

I feel however that there's a huge apathy among Irish consumers regarding country of origin. If the calling in of the main supermarkets could cause this to change it would be great

rangler1

Dawggone wrote: »

Your post is self explanatory rangler...

Tesco...Treasure Ireland!...are you having a laugh?:):)



Do you (and the IFA) really believe the hype??

Really just going by the brochures that come at the weekends, seems to be a lot of irish stuff on it. These guys are in business, and the same as you and me, they buy as cheap as possible. I don't like the way they do business, but it's not going to change. Read my post again. I didn't say Lidl and Aldi were easy dealt with, because they're not. We got one of them into a meeting to stress the importance of selling Irish when they came first, They told us they were building a distribution centre and whoever dlivered the best value to it, would supply it

Dawggone

frazzledhome wrote: »

I feel however that there's a huge apathy among Irish consumers regarding country of origin. If the calling in of the main supermarkets could cause this to change it would be great

That job must land squarely on the IFA.

Bit of a whiff of Patrick Neary about the main farming lobby...

rangler1

frazzledhome wrote: »

It's ironic really, we want to protect our own by keeping out others and on the other hand we expect our produce to be bought overseas.

I feel however that there's a huge apathy among Irish consumers regarding country of origin. If the calling in of the main supermarkets could cause this to change it would be great

Well you saw what sitting across a table at the beef forum gained....sfa.
Do you think the result would be any different with the supermarkets

Dawggone

rangler1 wrote: »

Really just going by the brochures that come at the weekends, seems to be a lot of irish stuff on it. These guys are in business, and the same as you and me, they buy as cheap as possible. I don't like the way they do business, but it's not going to change. Read my post again. I didn't say Lidl and Aldi were easy dealt with, because they're not. We got one of them into a meeting to stress the importance of selling Irish when they came first, They told us they were building a distribution centre and whoever dlivered the best value to it, would supply it

Your post is the sound of hopelessness.
A major change of mindset is needed.
Why genuflect to big business?


The "market" is easily manipulated...green jersey and all that.


Getting them into "meetings" won't scare shyte out of them...flinging shyte in their front door will!
At the same time lobbying government to "explain" the situation helps lubricate the process.

frazzledhome

rangler1 wrote: »

Well you saw what sitting across a table at the beef forum gained....sfa.
Do you think the result would be any different with the supermarkets

Would achieve nothing, talking shop

Dawggone

rangler1 wrote: »

Well you saw what sitting across a table at the beef forum gained....sfa.
Do you think the result would be any different with the supermarkets

The 6 million dollar question...'Who has the power?'

Defeatist.

Go after the power source of the beef factories/supermarkets/merchants etc. and break them.
The answer is political. The IFA has a very deep well of politics to draw from.

rangler1

Dawggone wrote: »

Your post is the sound of hopelessness.
A major change of mindset is needed.
Why genuflect to big business?


The "market" is easily manipulated...green jersey and all that.


Getting them into "meetings" won't scare shyte out of them...flinging shyte in their front door will!
At the same time lobbying government to "explain" the situation helps lubricate the process.

I wonder what percentage of farmers on here ever lobbied the Govt about anything farming wise.....not many I'd say
If you spent the last 20 years trying to get farmers to attend protests or disrupt supermarkets, you'd see it is hopeless, I'm away from all that now and delighted to be away....much easier to criticise now than get involved,
Too many part time young farmers that don't care and older farmers like myself that the future of farming won't make much difference to I guess

Dawggone

rangler1 wrote: »

Too many part time young farmers that don't care and older farmers like myself that the future of farming won't make much difference to I guess

Nail on the head there rangler.
There is certainly no appetite from the political class to take on big business either.

"Thanks Big Fella" was a quote from a former Toiseach to the head of a major retailing family.

joejobrien

Dawggone wrote: »

Nail on the head there rangler.
There is certainly no appetite from the political class to take on big business either.

"Thanks Big Fella" was a quote from a former Toiseach to the head of a major retailing family.

Yes exactly , This " dilutes" the farmers voice.
But it doent stop the Goverment in changing, if the will is there.
And that to my mind is the single biggest factor. We can all see,what can take place to leigslation overnight or 24 hrs when required.
Perhaps our training /research body should be more vocal on this along with IFA. JUST A THOUGHT!!!

Muckit

Dawggone wrote: »

Tesco have 'treasure Ireland' for a good reason...

Tesco are losing their foothold here rappa. Aldi/lidl supervalu and costcutter are quickly eating into their market share.

I see Tesco are fighting back lately though with a clever ploy of basically matching every offer that any other supermarket does if the customer brings it to their attention.

AnFeirmeoir

should the focus not be on increasing markets abroad, and not trying to increase our share of the small home market.?