LIE OF THE LAND

[soph21]

lie of the land is being repeated on more 4 now, on freeview its channel 13, im really excited as its a really interesting. so if you missed it the other week put it on now as its just started now!!! yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Blackhawk]

Really good programme.

OH watched it with me and I don't think he realised half the stuff that goes on.

 

[soph21]

i dont like seeing the animals getting shot but thats life, its interesting to see what goes on behind closed doors and i dont think many of us realise what happens! im glued to it, i live near the fourburrow hunt so its my riding turf and lived up the road from paul hancock for 16 years!!

 

[JGKJ]

I was hoping to see more about British dairy farming on it but there didnt seem to be much about that, there should be a programme about it i feel as some people un-related to farming dont realise just how little money farmers get per litre for milk etc going off subject a little here sorry!

 

[Patches]

Don't have to tell me about that!

We're dairy farmers...hence my signature. 18ppl is top price at the moment and latest statistics reveal it costs on average 21ppl for a farmer to produce milk.

Our bank account has seriously dwindled this last 2 or 3 years. The price of everything associated with farming as gone up...diesel, feed, straw, labour blah blah and yet the farm gate price has gone down.

 

[JGKJ]

Understand where you are coming from completely, but dont you feel that it needs to be a bit more widely known just how little farmers get for milk? We had to give up dairy farming in around 1999 i think but its still very close to my heart and miss it terribly (dont know why!) I got the impression thats what the programme was about but it wasnt sadly!

 

[Patches]

To be frank, I don't think the consumer cares how much farmers are paid for their milk. Most shoppers don't associate the goods they're buying (and I'm not just talking milk or food here) with the manufacturing/producing costs.

Consumers just want to pay as low a price as possible for the produce they buy. Even a as a farmer's wife I understand those sentiments. The cost of living is rising and we're all feeling the pinch.

However, that said, I often find that friends/family are shocked when they realise we get less than 40p for a 4 pint "bottle" of milk that shoppers are paying over £1.15 for.

We were told it costs the dairies, on average, 9ppl to produce milk for sale. Wonder what their mark up to the supermarket chains is?

 

[JGKJ]

No you're probably right, however it does shock people who dont realise. I once saw on the front of the farmers guardian once a picture of 2 round baled hay made to look like a person and the farmer had spray painted 'How much do you pay for a litre of milk? I get 12.5p' this was at the side of a very busy road and i thought well thats one way of telling them!

 

[Patches]

We should try that, the M6 runs through our farm!

 

[JGKJ]

Haha good plan, i think its a great idea, catches peoples mind and gets the point across!