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Consumers don't support farmers!

Big news this morning, in a recent poll consumers indicated that they don't support Welsh farmers in their "battle" against SFS (aka sustainable farming).  It is well known that UK consumers go shopping with their political views in their pocketbooks.  A more useful question would be: Would you support a change in law that will result in Welsh beef being more expensive?  The consumer's answer will be, we will not buy Welsh beef

I see it almost every day, I got a message from "some woman" that indicated that she really wanted to buy some of our organic chickens because the price was so low.  I replied that if she was willing to work for us, pay part of the feed costs and participate in the slaughter and processing of our chickens I would consider her request.  For a strange reason, she never replied to my message...

Consumers are two-faced.  Big on principles and pennywise when doing the weekly grocery shopping.  My guess is that the poll was commissioned by the Welsh government looking to boost support for its SFS legislation.  In three years, the Welsh cattle industry will be dead, except for high-price producers that like us cater to the fringe consumer who don't care about price, just high quality.  Our wholesalers believe that this represents about 3% to 5% of the total UK beef market.  Of course in 5 or 6 years newly elected Welsh politicians will bemoan the death of the Welsh cattle industry.  

If I was a Welsh cattleman, I would not wait, either sell out now or convert immediately, take either a small loss now, or a big one in a few years.  The immediate impact is that land prices in Wales have already dropped by 20%.  There will be more to come!  

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