Future is ‘challenging but bright’ for farming
Now is the best time to get into farming, say experts – despite a rollercoaster year that started with a drought, saw the wettest summer on record and included an abysmal harvest.
Persistence will eventually pay off for those who choose a career in agriculture, the Northern Farming Conference was told. More than 220 delegates attended the event at the Harrogate Pavilions on the Great Yorkshire Showground last Friday (9 November).
CLA president Harry Cotterell said: “We have very good agricultural colleges filling a really vibrant industry. We need to start thinking about what the industry is going to look like in 50 years’ time and build an industry that’s fit for purpose for the future, but it is a very exciting time to start.”
The conference was also addressed by Perthshire sheep producer and Nuffield scholar Michael Blanche – a first-generation farmer who failed to get a tenancy seven times when he was starting out, before going on to build a successful business.
“We need young people to believe that they can farm, that it is possible, that they can succeed against the odds and find their own way. Above all, be resilient, be the best and keep it simple. Giving up is easy. To be special, never give up.
“We don’t fail because of a lack of resources but because of a lack of resourcefulness. Farming can be the most depressing industry in the world, but it can also be the most exciting in the world. It depends on who you talk to. We need the excited voices to shout much louder.”
Yorkshire beef farmer Mike Powley said there were numerous reasons to be cheerful, particularly in relation to the export market. The ability to sell British offal abroad was adding £120-130 to each carcass, he told delegates.
The opening up of Russian market next year will be boost for UK beef producers. Russia has approved three UK abattoirs to handle shipments of beef, said Mr Powley, who is an EBLEX board member. Beef shipments to Russia were expected to start next spring, he added.
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