Peter Gittins: Why ‘getting out there’ matters for farmers
Peter Gittins © Peter Gittins I recently travelled more than 6,000 miles, as the crow flies, from rural Yorkshire, leading a research project in rural South Africa.
The project looks at how farmers develop entrepreneurial skills, how they learn, and what barriers get in the way.
Being there in person reminded me there is real value in getting out into the world and seeing things for yourself.
See also: Peter Gittins – too much doublespeak from rural policymakers
About the author
Not through social media, headlines, or someone else’s version of events, but by standing there, listening, observing and asking questions.
I have spoken to many farmers in the UK who have travelled, whether to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa or elsewhere, and often they return with a different perspective.
They may not want to copy everything they have seen, but they often come back asking better questions about how we farm here.
What struck me in South Africa was how different the realities are for large commercial farmers.
Some described sheep farming as highly profitable, with wool alone covering their costs.
One figure mentioned to me was about £15/kg. That hit home, especially given the frustration around wool prices in the UK.
A fantastic commodity, it seems – though in the UK we are often lucky if the wool cheque covers the shearer for the day.
Land prices also seemed dramatically lower, making expansion and entry into farming more achievable in ways that feel almost impossible here.
When I told South African farmers about our land prices, they looked at me in disbelief. When subsidies were mentioned, some farmers laughed and simply asked: “What subsidies?”
For many commercial farmers there, profitability appears to come from the market, not government support.
But there are things I would not swap. Farm safety was a real concern. The risk of farm attacks and wider exposure to crime are not things we face in the same way in Britain.
While our regulations can feel excessive, I came away proud of many British standards, particularly around animal welfare and environmental protection.
That is why getting out there matters. You might come back with new ideas, or simply come back seeing home differently.
