Farming
‘Farmers must join forces to combat spiralling costs’
THE region's farmers have been
urged to collaborate to overcome
spiralling costs and depressed
prices.
The English Food and Farming
Partnership (EFFP) believes they
could become more efficient,
save money, and find new opportunities
by working together.
English Beef and Lamb Executive
figures for November last
year showed the average upland
suckler producer was losing £357
per animal and upland sheep producers
£36 per ewe.
The figures did not include the impact of the foot-and-mouth restrictions
on movements and
markets.
Sue Scott, EFFP North-East regional
manager, believes there is
huge scope for collaboration, particularly
in the livestock sector.
She highlighted Borders Quality
Beef, which is a co-operative
set up by a group of producers
after the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis.
By working together, and specialising
in their own skills, they
produce exactly what their target
market requires.
They also have group power
when negotiating and are achieving
better prices.
Ms Scott said: "So far, there is
quite a bit of collaboration in
dairying, cereals and cropping,
but little in the livestock sector,
which is why we are keen to get
it going."
The EFFP is holding a series of
meetings to explain the help it
can give to those interested in
working with other farmers and
businesses in the supply chain.
James Severn, of Andersons
Farm Business Consultants'
Thirsk office, has worked on joint
ventures for 20 years.
He said: "I am very passionate
about this, the more I have got
into it the more excited I am
about it."
Farmers in other countries
have collaborated for many
years, largely because they are
much smaller than in the UK.
In days gone by, UK farmers
often worked together and
shared labour and machinery.
He said: "This initiative is trying
to put some of this back into
what we do on our farms.
"If you ask anyone working in
a joint venture, they will say it is
much more fun, and it is quite
common to see labour and machinery
costs halved.
"Farming can be a very lonely,
isolated, business and a joint venture
overcomes this straight
away."
For more information, call Ms
Scott on 01388-835948 or visit
effp.com
9:47am Tuesday 4th March 2008
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