December 2008 - Posts
Having just read Jane Kings leader in this fantastic christmas issue of Farmers Weekly, I have to say I disagree with her.
The RPA have said they have made mistakes with SFP of previous years and now want to claw back the money they have overpaid. I agree with Jane that it is public money and it should be spent wisely.
But I think that it is about time that people took responsibility for their own actions in this country. Someone at the RPA has got the SFP wrong. Now providing it was not fraudelently claimed and the mistake was by the government agency then they should work out how much has been overpaid and who was responsible and they should be fired.
Why should business's, because that's what they are, be put under finacial strain, at the very least, or possibly go under at this time of credit crunch because of someone else's INCOMPETENCE.
The Government is lending money hand over fist to the banks for what seems like very little benefit to us. The Car industry has it's begging bowl out. The managers who got all these companies in a mess are still in a job drawing huge salaries.
If agriculture was several large firms not thousands of individual farmers who can be bullied by the government it would be a different story I feel.
Somebody Should be Accountable. It shouldn't be the Farmers!
ps Merry Christmas to Isabel and all at Farmers Weekly and Also to everyone on the Forum.
Merry Christmas & Blogging New Year
I was listening to Sarah Kennedy this morning whilst in the shower and nearly dropped the soap!
She was doing the paper review and was talking about a possible labour Rebellion by front benchers over the third runnway at Heathrow and said, "A third runway at heathrow is to be approved next month as Gordon Brown prepares to overule ministers within his cabinet. But there could be some resignations. Hillary Benn the environment secretary feels very strongly about the noise and air pollution".
Surely we can't be that lucky can we?
It does show that he is passionate.
But he lets his personal feelings influence his political life.
He has already promised us his personal feelings had nothing to do with his decision over the badger cull.
Read the article yourself at "Times Online"
BBC News have just reported that the "All pork products made and sold in the Irish Republic since September have been recalled over fears they are contaminated with toxins."
"BBC News Irish Republic Recalls All Pork"
Let's be on our guard for this one. And if there is no possibility that British Pork is affected in any well then let's jump at the marketing opportunity.
As an aside I was out near Wolerhampton yesterday. It became lunchtime, we were getting rather hungary when we saw signs for "Essington Fruit Farm"
We thought it's a bit out of season but it might be good to go and have a look for another time when we might be passing.
Well what a surprise and a delight. A sumptuous farm shop and a country kitchen to boot. On the menu Roast Pork and it was delicious. I'm sure that if I was to go back in about ten weeks time, the piglets running around the edge of the car park would be on the menu.
Having had a look at their website this morning I'm not surprised to learn that they are members of LEAF. A good example of simple honest marketing with a smattering of education thrown in for good measure.
I have just written a small presentation for my college course. The Area of discussion was " Marketing Opportunities for Dairy Calves." I took a line of Veal and in particular British Rose Veal. I have to say I was struggling for information from the internet. Even that special search engine did not find much information. There was two or three web sites selling British Rose Veal direct to the public. But I was struggling to find information on how it was raised, how much is grown and consumed in this country and the amount that is exported. As for the price it fetched at slaughter or contract, well that was just a mystery.
Anyway I contacted Sarah Long who I met at Oxford this year. Sadly she didn't really know either but she said "I know a man who will." So I contacted Mark Topliff, at AHDBMS, who was extremely helpful. Then I open my farmers weekly to find a piece by Mark in the EBLEX pull out. So I'd obviously gone to the top for my info. Thanks Mark.
But what really shocked me was when I went to my local butcher this weekend. He had some veal in the window.I and "The Better Side Of The Fence" got quite excited that we could try some veal. So we asked him if it was British? "There is no British Veal" he replied. So then I proceeded to educate him about British Rose Veal. I'm not sure he believed me until I explained that we had been to disbud the calf's at a farm as part of our practicle training from college.
Needless to say we still haven't had British Rose Veal but shall be looking to a local supermarket who I believe has the main contracts for Rose Veal here in Britain. It's just a shame we have to "Wait" for our "rose" veal, not the local butcher.
Somebody sign up Janet Street-Porter quickly.