Baaaaaa... lloney

[Ben@Forest]

As chance would have it, it appears the EU are going to act on the loss of small farms.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... mall-farms

Having had, of course, 50 years of policies which sent small farms out of business....

[PH]

I'm not suggesting it's an either/or approach. ...
And the changes in our diet if we reduced importing would be immense.

I think you're far closer to this either/or idea than me.
We don't need to all become vegetarian or as a country self sufficient to make a difference. But neither do we need to eat meat everyday, or have strawberries year round. Quite minor changes would make an immense difference, returning to the self sufficiency levels of the 1980's, consume less meat without reducing the cost. Valuing quality over quantity, appreciating the seasons rather than considering them some sort of hardship. It's been commercial and political decisions that have driven prices down, or at least stopped them from rising as incomes have, I don't say there have been no advantages, but that I feel I've lost more than gained.

[Ben@Forest]

I'm not suggesting it's an either/or approach. ...
And the changes in our diet if we reduced importing would be immense.

I think you're far closer to this either/or idea than me.

I think my perspective comes from growing up surrounded by dairy farms, knowing that they were/are all on Grade 4 and 5 agricultural land (so poor to very poor that are really limited to grass) and that during WW2 some fields had been ploughed up for crop production and had grown very poor to disastrous crop yields.

Interestingly linking to another subtopic on this thread when we moved there, there were 10 dairy farms. Now there are two, but the area farmed for dairy is about the same, small farms have gone and been bought out by bigger concerns, but beyond house-building size has remained fairly static.

[PDQ Mobile]

As chance would have it, it appears the EU are going to act on the loss of small farms.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... mall-farms

Having had, of course, 50 years of policies which sent small farms out of business....

You should be a Govt. propaganist!
While 25 years ago EU policy was aimed almost entirely at cheaper food, the later years have given more than a nod at better sustainability.

Our own UK farming unions ( and probably forestry) were complicit in decisions affecting holding sizes and in much abuse of conservation grants.

Rees Mogg was so set sgainst the "3 crop rule" that it formed much of his interest in supporting leaving the EU. (and saving tax of course)
He is a huge landowner.
The 3 crop rule was designed to try to help preserve and improve soils.
But would have affected his profits no doubt.

If we manage our agriculture better outside the EU than in, remains to be seen.
But the signs (IMV) are not good.

[RickH]

I have noticed a lot of quite reasonable Estevez Chilean wines at eye popping sub £4 prices which I presume is a consequence of Brexit.

Why would that make Chilean wine cheaper in the UK?

Thanks

Jonathan

Lower pay for the Chilean workers producing it may be a factor perhaps? (Which I don't think has any direct connection with Brexit)

Bear in mind that £2.23 of the price you pay for a bottle is alcohol tax & there is VAT as well (74p on a £3.99 bottle by my reckoning). You really aren't paying very much at all for the actual wine. And everyone involved has to take their cut out of the pound or so that isn't going into government coffers.