Homage to Haskins



In this day and age, where we now know why farmers have big hands, is
because they are always holding them out for one benefit, or another,
or waving placards saying "Look at me, how hard done by I am". If we
wont tolerate lazy people on the dole, why should we tolerate lazy
farmers holding their hands out all day long?

At last, a British politician is telling the farmers the truth.

Lord Haskins refuses to be bullied and bamboozled by Ben Gill or
Prince Charles. Correctly, he has said that farmers must be more
entrepreneurial and embrace change.

For too long farm unions have got away with blaming everyone but
themselves for the farming crises. They have ludicrously exaggerated
their own problems. Unchallenged by incompetent and lazy journalists,
they repeat the untruths about farm incomes, rural prosperity and farm
suicides.

The hapless impressionable Prince Charles has re-parroted all the
nonsense preached by the farming lobby. Lord Haskins said that Charles
should think for 10 seconds about the claim on farm incomes being £100
a week. 

This figure disregards the fact that more than half of all farmers
already have a second job. A third of them are ‘hobby’ farmers
independent of farm earnings. Even the sum quoted is really
‘disposable income’ left over after other farm expenses have been
paid. All expenses can be described as agricultural spending. One
farmer got away with a claim that his childrens' public schools fees
were agricultural spending as ‘training.’

Previous ministers have been cowed by farmers denouncing their
ignorance of farming. lord haskins is a farmer and has cut an
impressive swathe of truth through the myths.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2394925.stm


The biggest threat facing Europe's farmers is if they refuse to
abandon their "culture of dependence", a key former UK Government
adviser has warned. 
Chris Haskins, who headed Britain's Rural Recovery Task Force in the
wake of last year's foot-and-mouth crisis, says Europe's farms will
not go into meltdown if they have to compete in an open global market
without production subsidies. 



Too much attention is given to the views of rural commuters and owners
of second homes in the countryside 
 
Lord Haskins  
And he argues that the troubles of UK farmers have been made worse by
their failure to work together, forcing costs up and often making
marketing efforts inadequate. 

In a new essay, Lord Haskins also says English farmers are too often
prevented from converting old buildings because planners take too much
notice of people who live in towns and cities. 

The essay, entitled 'Is there a future for European farming?', is
published by the Foreign Policy Centre and follows Tony Blair's spat
with Jacques Chirac over reforming Europe's Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP). 

'Huge demand' 

Lord Haskins is upbeat about Europe's ability to compete if subsidies
are dropped and farmers are instead paid for looking after the
countryside. 

European agriculture could also cope if protectionist barriers to
world food trade are torn down, he argues. 

 
Subsidies reform caused the row between Blair and Chirac
 
"There will still be a huge demand for European farm products, and
European taxpayers seem to be prepared to support the perusal of good
environmental practices on farms," he says. 

"The greatest threat for the future lies with the farmers themselves. 

"If they reject change, including the need to abandon the culture of
dependence, then the long term erosion of their position will only
accelerate." 

Lord Haskins says plans to ban Europe and America from dumping food
surpluses on the world market would mean food prices would rise. 

Regional premiums 

Europe's farmers also have a key advantage over their competitors
because 400 million wealthy consumers in the EU rely on them for safe,
short-shelf-life food, he says. 

The higher costs imposed by regulations in Europe can also be turned
into a chance to build greater confidence in the quality and safety of
their food. 

Lord Haskins also argues there are premiums to be won through selling
regional foods, such as English stilton. 

 
Lord Haskins warns about the lure of organics
 
But he warns that the vast majority of shoppers are not prepared to
pay more to get organic food unless it can be proven they get better
texture, flavour and safety. 

"Farmers should assess the business case for organic and avoid being
beguiled by encouraging noises from retailers and organic farming
evangelists," says Lord Haskins. 

Last year's foot-and-mouth epidemic was viewed as a hammer blow to the
UK countryside but Lord Haskins says predictions that many farmers
would leave the industry have proved ill-founded. 

"The vast majority of them have chosen to restock, forcing the price
of breeding stock up," he says. 

That suggests those farmers are confident about the future, he argues,
although acknowledging many of them may not be able to contemplate a
future out of farming. 

There is a contradiction too that tractor sales remain buoyant while
many farmers complain they are bankrupt, says Lord Haskins. 

Change efforts thwarted 


Many farmers are looking to diversify in what they do, especially by
converting old farm buildings. 

But Lord Haskins says planning authorities in countries like England
and the Netherlands often resist such requests. 

"Too much attention is given to the views of rural commuters and
owners of second homes in the countryside who care little and
understand little about the rural economy," he says. 

Lord Haskins views are likely to be carefully examined in government,
where he is tipped to get a new role reviewing the spending of the
Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.