Farmers Fear Food Shortages Caused By Green Schemes

[Chekhov 488]

The Times Mon 25 March 2024 p12

 

Farmers fear food shortages caused by Green schemes

Holt's main crop is winter wheat, but to ensure its success he grows a "break crop" of oil seed rape and beans between wheat harvests to break the cycle of weeds, diseases and pests and to improve soil health. He sells the "break crop" as a commercial product to make money on top of his wheat harvest.

Holt has signed up for a new government subsidy to plant a legume cover crop instead of his break crops, which will help pollinators and the soil health but will not be harvested for food production.

 

This is madness.

Taxpayers paying farmers not to grow food which we then have to import, and which will put up the world price(s), which, BTW, is unfair on poorer countries.

[rogets 141]

17 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

The Times Mon 25 March 2024 p12

 

Farmers fear food shortages caused by Green schemes

Holt's main crop is winter wheat, but to ensure its success he grows a "break crop" of oil seed rape and beans between wheat harvests to break the cycle of weeds, diseases and pests and to improve soil health. He sells the "break crop" as a commercial product to make money on top of his wheat harvest.

Holt has signed up for a new government subsidy to plant a legume cover crop instead of his break crops, which will help pollinators and the soil health but will not be harvested for food production.

 

This is madness.

Taxpayers paying farmers not to grow food which we then have to import, and which will put up the world price(s), which, BTW, is unfair on poorer countries.

all by design

[Prettytom 1,648]

40 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

The Times Mon 25 March 2024 p12

 

Farmers fear food shortages caused by Green schemes

Holt's main crop is winter wheat, but to ensure its success he grows a "break crop" of oil seed rape and beans between wheat harvests to break the cycle of weeds, diseases and pests and to improve soil health. He sells the "break crop" as a commercial product to make money on top of his wheat harvest.

Holt has signed up for a new government subsidy to plant a legume cover crop instead of his break crops, which will help pollinators and the soil health but will not be harvested for food production.

 

This is madness.

Taxpayers paying farmers not to grow food which we then have to import, and which will put up the world price(s), which, BTW, is unfair on poorer countries.

The legume crop will fertilise the field and add to insect biodiversity.

 

Which of those things do you consider to be unimportant?

 

Show your working.

[peak4 282]

The whole article seems to be here, though it's a day earlier

Farmers warn of food shortages as green schemes take land out of use
Vegetable and grain supplies could be hit because new environmental subsidies make it more profitable to switch fields away from commercial produce

 

 

[Axe 836]

Apparently it is worse in Wales because of the Labour run Welsh Assembly. Something about subsidies for farmers growing wild flowers. The issue of solar farms is another problem that discourages farm land being used to grow crops.

[Longcol 607]

2 hours ago, Chekhov said:

The Times Mon 25 March 2024 p12

 

Farmers fear food shortages caused by Green schemes

Holt's main crop is winter wheat, but to ensure its success he grows a "break crop" of oil seed rape and beans between wheat harvests to break the cycle of weeds, diseases and pests and to improve soil health. He sells the "break crop" as a commercial product to make money on top of his wheat harvest.

Holt has signed up for a new government subsidy to plant a legume cover crop instead of his break crops, which will help pollinators and the soil health but will not be harvested for food production.

 

This is madness.

Taxpayers paying farmers not to grow food which we then have to import, and which will put up the world price(s), which, BTW, is unfair on poorer countries.

How does growing a legume crop eg peas, instead of oil seed rape, constitute not growing food?

[Chekhov 488]

1 hour ago, Prettytom said:

The legume crop will fertilise the field and add to insect biodiversity.

Which of those things do you consider to be unimportant?

Show your working.

The legume crop will fertilise the field and add to insect biodiversity but cost the taxpayer lost of money.

 

The oil seed rape crop will break the cycle of weeds, diseases and pests and to improve soil health, generate income (some of which may well end up as tax) and it can be eaten.

 

I have shown my working, but do not need to make a conclusion as it is obvious.......

 

[Meltman 314]

There are many hundreds of acres of food grown and wasted because the 'government ' are paying fit but idle scroungers to stay at home rather than getting them to ern their money.  If all the current (no pun) crops were harvested maybe there would be plenty of space to plant "break" crops. 

[Longcol 607]

21 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

 

 

The oil seed rape crop will break the cycle of weeds, diseases and pests and to improve soil health, generate income (some of which may well end up as tax) and it can be eaten.

 

 

 

Who eats oil seed rape?

[Meltman 314]

1 minute ago, Longcol said:

Who eats oil seed rape?

Many people do! A lot of it is used to make 'spreads' that used to be called margarine. 

[RollingJ 2,044]

11 minutes ago, Meltman said:

Many people do! A lot of it is used to make 'spreads' that used to be called margarine. 

Beat me to it, @Meltman😀

[Longcol 607]

4 minutes ago, Meltman said:

Many people do! A lot of it is used to make 'spreads' that used to be called margarine. 

Margarine is as likely to contain palm oil or sunflower oil.

 

Rapeseed is also made into cooking oil, biodiesel and cattle cake.

 

Not really a food like peas.