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tom wrote: > richard wrote: >> 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! ) >> > many many people do work part time on farms - they have other jobs. On > the farm next door to me - some 300 acres altogether - most of the > family have other jobs, shal we ignore them too? > What this will mean is that we WONT know. Tom te tom te tom > did they say what the minimum size was? 50 acres would be a viable veg farm, but if policy is made to suit retired accountants with a couple of llamas would that be a good thing? it is a damming engagement of agricultural policy over the last 30 years that your neighbours have to have other jobs in order to make a living in the only really essential industry in the world. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html