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Re: [LUG] OT:Agricultural Census 2010

 

tom wrote:
> Eion MacDonald wrote:
>> tom wrote:
>>  
>>> I mismanage a smallholding and have just had some stuff through from
>>> Defra re the 2010 Agricultural Census. This is meant to be a full
>>> census
>>> of farming in the UK for the EU and will presumably go towards policy
>>> and grants etc.
>>> They are planning NOT to ask farms below a certain size for
>>> information!!!!
>>> I cant think of a better way of skewing the information in favour of
>>> agri-business and away from higher productivity small units.
>>> Tom  having a major fume!
>>>
>>>     
>>
>> An  economic study in 1980s, ( and the economist was my boss man) the
>> study found that 'productivity' was inversely proportional to 'apparent
>> site size' except in monoculture systems, these could not be indexed
>> properly as damage long term was catastrophic (dust bowls etc)outside 50
>> year records as repeat events.
>> A real damnation of 'collective farm system' in soviet side and was used
>> to show allotments or family vegetable gardens (UK style when family
>> managed) had high productivity! However productivity of allotments in
>> 1980s was below that in 1940s but with more varied crops.
>>   
> What really got me about it is if the threshold is ( say) 50 acres
> then france would have 10 farms.
> The EU will use the information when setting grant levels and the UK
> will get practically nothing.
> The excuse they gave was so as not to encumber the smaller farmer.
> More like can find anyone to write a really simple online database
> that one could spend 2 minutes inputting the data.
> Tom te tom te tom
 I think the idea is to survey people who make a living from farming, or
try to, not including units which are probably subsidised from other
income. While it is often true that small units can be more intensive
who wants to work for below minimum wage? (if you do I can find you
something to do! )
 Anthony Gibson retired a few years ago, his replacement seems not to
have made an impression!
 And France does have some very big farms.
 
richard

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