Wednesday 25 July 2012
Saturday 21 July 2012
Supermarkets in the firing line
THE Ulster Farmers’ Union has warned that there is a growing discontent in the farming community at the way they are being treated by retailers and food processors.
The union says that across almost every sector of agriculture in Northern Ireland, farming has been disrupted by lengthy spells of very poor weather, while rising costs of production are compounding farmers difficulties. The UFU says despite these difficulties, retailers and food processors have shown little or no regard for the problems which farmers are facing, with farmgate prices in most sectors struggling to meet the cost of production.
UFU president Harry Sinclair said: “Whilst the industry has potentially a very bright future, this summer has thrown up some really serious questions about the way farmers are treated in the supply chain. In many sectors our prices are simply not enough to cover costs. It is clear that farmers are struggling with the ongoing difficult weather and now it appears that feed costs are set to rise due to a poor soya harvest in the US. Obviously fuel is another huge bill on farms and as we all know it has risen dramatically in cost in recent years. However no recognition is being given to these factors by retailers and food processors.
“In recent weeks meat processors dropped the price of beef significantly, leaving producers facing rising costs and falling returns. Problems in the dairy sector are also a big concern at the moment with prices at the milk auction falling in seven of the last eight months. Producers in most other sectors from vegetables to lamb would tell a similar story and there will be particular concern in the pigs and poultry sector at the likelihood of rising feed costs.”
The union president concluded: “I am very concerned at the way farmers are being treated. There is an onus on the government to introduce the Supermarket Adjudicator as soon as possible. In the meantime retailers and food processors should heed our warning that there is growing anger in the farming community at ongoing moves to drop prices at a time when producers are struggling with rising costs and difficult conditions. Farmers won’t be taken for granted and every retailer and processor should look much more closely at their farmer supply base and take steps to ensure farmgate prices are sustainable.”
Meanwhile, Farmers For Action Northern Ireland has moved to support the FFA Milk Protest in England by calling on consumers in Northern Ireland to boycott large supermarkets in extended support of Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s calls for the multiple retailers to meet their corporate social responsibility towards their primary producers.
William Taylor FFA NI co-ordinator said: “For far too long dairy, beef and sheep farmers have been the target for profit by the large retailers and large processors. If consumers vote with their feet by staying away from the large retailers and shop at their local family owned supermarkets, butchers, bakers, greengrocers or farmers markets where possible, the corporates will soon get the message.
“We can’t emphasis strongly enough how much we need the support of our loyal customer consumers to support family farmers in their struggle against the multiple retailers.”
The union says that across almost every sector of agriculture in Northern Ireland, farming has been disrupted by lengthy spells of very poor weather, while rising costs of production are compounding farmers difficulties. The UFU says despite these difficulties, retailers and food processors have shown little or no regard for the problems which farmers are facing, with farmgate prices in most sectors struggling to meet the cost of production.
UFU president Harry Sinclair said: “Whilst the industry has potentially a very bright future, this summer has thrown up some really serious questions about the way farmers are treated in the supply chain. In many sectors our prices are simply not enough to cover costs. It is clear that farmers are struggling with the ongoing difficult weather and now it appears that feed costs are set to rise due to a poor soya harvest in the US. Obviously fuel is another huge bill on farms and as we all know it has risen dramatically in cost in recent years. However no recognition is being given to these factors by retailers and food processors.
“In recent weeks meat processors dropped the price of beef significantly, leaving producers facing rising costs and falling returns. Problems in the dairy sector are also a big concern at the moment with prices at the milk auction falling in seven of the last eight months. Producers in most other sectors from vegetables to lamb would tell a similar story and there will be particular concern in the pigs and poultry sector at the likelihood of rising feed costs.”
The union president concluded: “I am very concerned at the way farmers are being treated. There is an onus on the government to introduce the Supermarket Adjudicator as soon as possible. In the meantime retailers and food processors should heed our warning that there is growing anger in the farming community at ongoing moves to drop prices at a time when producers are struggling with rising costs and difficult conditions. Farmers won’t be taken for granted and every retailer and processor should look much more closely at their farmer supply base and take steps to ensure farmgate prices are sustainable.”
Meanwhile, Farmers For Action Northern Ireland has moved to support the FFA Milk Protest in England by calling on consumers in Northern Ireland to boycott large supermarkets in extended support of Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s calls for the multiple retailers to meet their corporate social responsibility towards their primary producers.
William Taylor FFA NI co-ordinator said: “For far too long dairy, beef and sheep farmers have been the target for profit by the large retailers and large processors. If consumers vote with their feet by staying away from the large retailers and shop at their local family owned supermarkets, butchers, bakers, greengrocers or farmers markets where possible, the corporates will soon get the message.
“We can’t emphasis strongly enough how much we need the support of our loyal customer consumers to support family farmers in their struggle against the multiple retailers.”
Farmer Field School
The Farmer Field School (FFS) is a group-based learning process that has been used by a number of governments, NGOs and international agencies to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The first FFS were designed and managed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in Indonesia in 1989 since then more than two million farmers across Asia have participated in this type of learning.
The Farmer Field School brings together concepts and methods from agroecology, experiential education and community development. As a result, hundreds of thousands of rice farmers in countries such as China, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam have been able to reduce the use of pesticides and improve the sustainability of crop yields. The FFS has produced other developmental benefits that are broadly described as ‘empowerment’: FFS alumni in a number of countries are involved in a wide-range of self-directed activities including research, training, marketing and advocacy.
The basic features of a typical rice IPM Farmer Field School are as follows:The Farmer Field School brings together concepts and methods from agroecology, experiential education and community development. As a result, hundreds of thousands of rice farmers in countries such as China, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam have been able to reduce the use of pesticides and improve the sustainability of crop yields. The FFS has produced other developmental benefits that are broadly described as ‘empowerment’: FFS alumni in a number of countries are involved in a wide-range of self-directed activities including research, training, marketing and advocacy.
The IPM Field School is field based and lasts for a full cropping season.
A rice FFS meets once a week with a total number of meetings that might range from at least 10 up to 16 meetings.
The primary learning material at a Farmers Field School is the rice field.
The Field School meeting place is close to the learning plots often in a farmer’s home and sometimes beneath a convenient tree.
FFS educational methods are experiential, participatory, and learner centred. Each FFS meeting includes at least three activities: the agro-ecosystem analysis, a “special topic”, and a group dynamics activity.
In every FFS, participants conduct a study comparing IPM with non-IPM treated plots.
An FFS often includes several additional field studies depending on local field problems.
Between 25 and 30 farmers participate in a FFS. Participants learn together in small groups of five to maximise participation.
All FFSs include a Field Day in which farmers make presentations about IPM and the results of their studies.
A pre- and post-test is conducted as part of every Field School for diagnostic purposes and for determining follow-up activities.
The facilitators of FFS’s undergo intensive season-long residential training to prepare them for organising and conducting Field Schools.
Preparation meetings precede an FFS to determine needs, recruit participants, and develop a learning contract.
Final meetings of the FFS often include planning for follow-up activities.
Although Farmer Field Schools were designed to promote IPM, empowerment has an essential feature from the beginning. The curriculum of the FFS was built on the assumption that farmers could only implement IPM once they had acquired the ability to carry out their own analysis, make their own decisions and organise their own activities. The empowerment process, rather than the adoption of specific IPM techniques, is what produces many of the developmental benefits of the FFS
How to Become a Farmer Without Experience
Tips on How to become a Farmer without Experience:
2) Choose what kind of farming you'd like to do. There are many sub-fields in agriculture such as:
dairy (milk and cheese)
grains (wheat, corn, oats, etc.)
meat (beef, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs)
vegetables & greens
fruit orchards
vineyards
herbs
organic
fiber (wool, angora, etc.)
Do you want to specialize in one of the above, or do a little bit of everything? The trend in agriculture is towards commercialization and specialization. Generally, the larger the farm, the less diversified it is.
3) Find farms that you like. There might be some in your area, there might not. Ask around. Search the Web, and find out about county fairs and visit them. It's there that you'll find serious farmers. Talk to them. Ask them what they do, how their farms have changed over time, what direction they think the field is going in, and if you could stop by their farm and visit some time. Farmers are generally friendly, humble, and welcoming people, though some are more guarded than others.
4) Dress the part. This may sound superficial, but if you walked into a law firm interview dressed in a pair of jeans and boots, it's the same as walking onto a farm wearing a pair of dockers and loafers. If you're just starting out in farming, you're probably going to be doing a lot of physical labor. Wear a clean t-shirt, jeans, and work boots. Invest in a good pair of work gloves because your hands will be sore and full of blisters in a very short time. If you have long hair, tie it back (consider a braid) so it doesn't get caught in anything.
5) Become an apprentice. Offer your services as a laborer. This is the most critical step in becoming a farmer—working in exchange for an opportunity to learn. Since you're just starting out, you'll be entering at the bottom of the totem pole (as is the case in most careers). If you want to earn respect, you must:
Be physically fit. If you think you can farm without crouching, bending, lifting, or pulling, you're being unrealistic. Only farm managers who've paid their dues can skip some physical labor, but even they often must push their bodies close to the limit for the job.
Be flexible. You must be willing to do anything and everything that needs to get done on a working farm. This may include: cleaning feces and urine, climbing ladders, driving a tractor on steep hillsides (which is very dangerous), killing pests like rats and rabbits, handling unruly animals (that may want to bite or trample you), weeding or harvesting for 12 hours or more, applying pesticides, slaughtering, butchering, euthanizing, etc. Farming isn't just rainbows and butterflies, you know. If there's something you're not willing to do, state it up-front, and understand that your options may be limited as such.
Express your desire to learn. Watch people do what they do and ask them to teach you how. Whether it's fixing the tractor, or deciding on what to feed the cows, or understanding the plant cycle, you'll never become a farmer until you understand the hands-on "how" behind everything that makes a farm work.
Have a good sense of humor. Laughter makes the day go by faster, especially when your muscles are aching and you feel like your fingers are going to fall off and the weather has ruined your plans once again. A positive attitude is an asset to any farm!
Farmers of today are businessmen, they have to be able to survive. Understand farm economics, farm politics and consider classes at college that teach agri-business. If you want to make it past the farm labor stage you must be informed on all aspects of farming.
You may need to relocate. Some regions of the country are more conducive to farming than others. Check what farms are producing in the area to which you want to relocate before deciding what to farm or finding the best area for what it is you wish to produce (this may be quite a move).
Don't shy away from mechanical tasks. Become as familiar as you can with farm machinery, how to use it safely, and how to maintain and fix it. Even the smallest farms usually depend on a rototiller or small tractor.
The pay for farm laborers is often extremely low, or nothing. Many positions include housing, but usually only on a seasonal basis (i.e., during growing and harvest seasons but not during the winter).
Be on time and be nice to your boss!
Farming can be extremely dangerous, especially when working with animals and machinery. Most employers do not offer health insurance to farm laborers, so make sure you know what your risks are, and be careful!
Many current farmers dislike newbies for a host of reasons - but mainly because you're new and they don't know you or what impact you'll have on their market share. It is best to not "rock the boat" too much during your first few years. Try not to bring too many changes or too many ideas to the table when discussing with locals how you're conducting your farming methods. This building of trust will aid you greatly when seed or harvest time comes and you need an extra piece of million-dollar equipment from your neighbor to help out.
So, you want to become a farmer, but you've never grown a crop or
raised livestock? Here's how to break into agriculture and compensate
for your lack of farming experience.
1) Decide why you're interested in farming. It's hard work, and the industry is, for the most part, steeped in tradition (i.e. newcomers aren't exactly welcomed with open arms). If you've never farmed in your life, you're going to get a lot of raised eyebrows from farmers and non-farmers alike. Be ready to answer the question "Why do you want to farm?" with confidence.2) Choose what kind of farming you'd like to do. There are many sub-fields in agriculture such as:
dairy (milk and cheese)
grains (wheat, corn, oats, etc.)
meat (beef, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs)
vegetables & greens
fruit orchards
vineyards
herbs
organic
fiber (wool, angora, etc.)
Do you want to specialize in one of the above, or do a little bit of everything? The trend in agriculture is towards commercialization and specialization. Generally, the larger the farm, the less diversified it is.
3) Find farms that you like. There might be some in your area, there might not. Ask around. Search the Web, and find out about county fairs and visit them. It's there that you'll find serious farmers. Talk to them. Ask them what they do, how their farms have changed over time, what direction they think the field is going in, and if you could stop by their farm and visit some time. Farmers are generally friendly, humble, and welcoming people, though some are more guarded than others.
4) Dress the part. This may sound superficial, but if you walked into a law firm interview dressed in a pair of jeans and boots, it's the same as walking onto a farm wearing a pair of dockers and loafers. If you're just starting out in farming, you're probably going to be doing a lot of physical labor. Wear a clean t-shirt, jeans, and work boots. Invest in a good pair of work gloves because your hands will be sore and full of blisters in a very short time. If you have long hair, tie it back (consider a braid) so it doesn't get caught in anything.
5) Become an apprentice. Offer your services as a laborer. This is the most critical step in becoming a farmer—working in exchange for an opportunity to learn. Since you're just starting out, you'll be entering at the bottom of the totem pole (as is the case in most careers). If you want to earn respect, you must:
Be physically fit. If you think you can farm without crouching, bending, lifting, or pulling, you're being unrealistic. Only farm managers who've paid their dues can skip some physical labor, but even they often must push their bodies close to the limit for the job.
Be flexible. You must be willing to do anything and everything that needs to get done on a working farm. This may include: cleaning feces and urine, climbing ladders, driving a tractor on steep hillsides (which is very dangerous), killing pests like rats and rabbits, handling unruly animals (that may want to bite or trample you), weeding or harvesting for 12 hours or more, applying pesticides, slaughtering, butchering, euthanizing, etc. Farming isn't just rainbows and butterflies, you know. If there's something you're not willing to do, state it up-front, and understand that your options may be limited as such.
Express your desire to learn. Watch people do what they do and ask them to teach you how. Whether it's fixing the tractor, or deciding on what to feed the cows, or understanding the plant cycle, you'll never become a farmer until you understand the hands-on "how" behind everything that makes a farm work.
Have a good sense of humor. Laughter makes the day go by faster, especially when your muscles are aching and you feel like your fingers are going to fall off and the weather has ruined your plans once again. A positive attitude is an asset to any farm!
Farmers of today are businessmen, they have to be able to survive. Understand farm economics, farm politics and consider classes at college that teach agri-business. If you want to make it past the farm labor stage you must be informed on all aspects of farming.
You may need to relocate. Some regions of the country are more conducive to farming than others. Check what farms are producing in the area to which you want to relocate before deciding what to farm or finding the best area for what it is you wish to produce (this may be quite a move).
Don't shy away from mechanical tasks. Become as familiar as you can with farm machinery, how to use it safely, and how to maintain and fix it. Even the smallest farms usually depend on a rototiller or small tractor.
The pay for farm laborers is often extremely low, or nothing. Many positions include housing, but usually only on a seasonal basis (i.e., during growing and harvest seasons but not during the winter).
Be on time and be nice to your boss!
Farming can be extremely dangerous, especially when working with animals and machinery. Most employers do not offer health insurance to farm laborers, so make sure you know what your risks are, and be careful!
Many current farmers dislike newbies for a host of reasons - but mainly because you're new and they don't know you or what impact you'll have on their market share. It is best to not "rock the boat" too much during your first few years. Try not to bring too many changes or too many ideas to the table when discussing with locals how you're conducting your farming methods. This building of trust will aid you greatly when seed or harvest time comes and you need an extra piece of million-dollar equipment from your neighbor to help out.
Thursday 19 July 2012
Thursday 12 July 2012
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