Stop moaning and get on with the job, say my critics - other industries have had to adapt to change so why should farmers be any different. This is a fair point, but in order to rationalise it needs farmers and farm workers to leave the industry, which is now happening at an alarming rate. The big difference is that when miners and steel workers were made redundant they received redundancy payments and were helped with re-training. Farmers whose businesses have become unviable are either facing bankruptcy or their stock has become so devalued that if they sell up they will have very little left.
Diversification is one answer and there are grants available, but if you don't have adequate capital or the necessary skills, then this option is not much use. Many farmers who try to diversify run into problems with planners. There is a limit to what you can diversify into.
Some say we should get closer to our market and sell produce locally, This makes sense, and there are a number of successful farmer's markets running in a number of towns including Holsworthy.
Sell milk locally, I have been told, surely there would be a demand for it. Yes, you would think so, and two groups in Devon have set up processing plants to sell Devon produced milk. Unfortunately instead of trying to sell a premium product at premium prices, they have been selling milk at a reduced price to try to get market share, and I gather they are now having financial difficulties.
I learnt this week that Dairy Crest and Unigate are to merge. This will presumably mean that they will be able to screw the milk price down even further.
I know of three farmers near to me who have ceased milking recently. There are hundreds of farmers up and down the country who are doing the same.
We have decided to expand a little and try to stay in and tough it out. I am not sure whether we are very brave or downright stupid!
A couple of Sundays ago we looked out of the window to discover the cows grazing the lawn. This is not recommended at any time, particularly in February! There followed the inevitable accusations at people who didn't shut gates properly. Nobody accepted responsibility for the fiasco, but little more was said the following day when somebody else left a gate open and let the young stock out. We eventually caught them up at Lympscott, and we are very grateful for Richard, John, David, David and Jimmy's help in retrieving 2 heifers from their slurry pit and helping return them home.