Cheap food wins elections

IF you are the fortunately the owner of your farm which you purchased years ago, you are the envy of others because you are sitting on a large asset, but what people do not realise is that if you are planning to continue farming, you are unable to cash in on that asset. To keep your business viable you may even be looking for more land at today’s inflated prices, so you are looking at assets that unless you are retiring without a family to carry on the business you have assets that are not for sale.

As is the case with many farmers you are asset rich and cash poor and in addition you have to reinvest some of the profit to maintain the farm and purchase replacement equipment.

A successful farmer is an asset to the community and while only 2.5% of the population live and work on the land, 17% of the working population depend on farming for a living.

Unfortunately the supermarkets – because of their share size, while farming is made of comparable small units – call the tune when it comes to commodity prices and eventually farmers’ profit. It is sad when any business fails, but when a farmers fails not only loses his job but his home as well.

The power of the supermarkets is a very dangerous position to be in and only the government has the power to control their exploitation which they are loath to do as they want to keep food prices low.

The old saying is politicians think of the next election, while statesmen think of the next generation and cheap food wins elections.

Sir Eric Howells Narberth