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Welsh farmers continue to be pissed off

A battle between the steward of the land and the city-dwelling environmentalist continues on its merry way on the other side of the country.  It is an interesting situation, in that there are no winners in this fight.  On one side farmers who have faced one of the worst years because of rain, and on the other side the environmentalist absolutist movement that wants what it wants.  

Imposing changes to land management is complex, and the reductionist solution being offered in Wales will lead to large-scale bankruptcy.  In the end, the old style of small holdings low capitalization farming is doomed to fail, animal husbandry and good use of fertilizers require modern expensive technology.  Normally the death of the small holding should have taken 15 or 20 years, following the ending of European farm subsidies three years ago.  Farmers keep on hoping that next year it will get better.  It will not, they are doomed, the impact of the change in regulation on land use will speed up the process so that the small family farm will disappear and be replaced by the large agro concerns.

Obviously, this is not why the green movement is pushing for SFS, but that will be the outcome.  Large agribusinesses are better equipped to deal with these issues, they are financially stronger and are better able to represent their interest to politicians in words they understand.

The UK farm sector has a big problem, over the next 5 years, the UK will enter into an agreement with the Americans that will lead to an opening of our borders for American-grown foodstuff.  British farmers cannot compete on prices.  The acceleration of the demise of the small farmers will ensure that the process is not too brutal.  Right now they are feeling intense pain and disappointment they have been abandoned for the sake of electoral ploys that will not result in the Conservatives remaining in power.

The thousands of small landholders will suffer greatly.  In three or four years, the same environmentalist will bemoan the death of the smallholder -- that they knowingly destroyed.  

Painful irony.


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