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Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9881
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 23 11:55 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

It seems the farm shop I use has given up rationing tomatoes and peppers as no notice this week, so assume their supplier is coming up with their orders all right.

Mylocal shop has had tomatoes and peppers etc without restriction throughout - I could have taken one of those pictures ex-pats have been bragging about and say 'its ok where I am'. The problem is a UK supermarket related one, due to how much they are willing to pay. And I guess in turn, how much the customer expects to pay. When adverse weather results in less produce.. prices go up. Suppliers will supply to those willing to pay. The plentiful fruit and veg seen abroad costs more than it costs here.

but in fact it still has had no impact on me either way, as I don't buy fresh tomatoes in Feb and March... because they aren't in season...

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 23 2:16 pm Post subject:

Judging by the report that some imported meat is being sold as British, we can't be sure of any supermarket meat these days. It is said it isn't being distributed from the 'big five' supermarkets and the Co-op and one other claim they don't use that supplier either, so no idea which one.

Think Wholesalers,the likes of Booker they stock foreign imported meats,and are`nt they a subsidary of one of the big five.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8918
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 23 7:24 pm Post subject:
Booker is Tesco

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 23 9:12 am Post subject:
Round here Booker is the wholesaler that a lot of the small shops use. The report mentioned a supermarket rather than it affecting small shops, so no idea. After the horse meat scandal that sort of thing was supposed to have been sorted out, but of course with Trading Standards departments being cut to the bone and beyond there is nobody to enforce things.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 23 11:56 am Post subject:
It's Booths

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 23 7:16 am Post subject:
Yes, I read that yesterday. I understand that they are a northern supermarket and don't think I have ever come across them. Sounds as if they are usually high quality; they were described as the 'northern Waitrose', so rather difficult for them.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46210
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 23 7:04 pm Post subject:

not familiar with the firm, although i am a bit northern

the nature of supermarket strategy such that"a northern" "never heard of them" small chain will be swallowed by the bigger fish

a local supplier with a local/adaptable supply chain and a well-informed local customer base is less vulnerable to supermarket issues of supply or "diligence issues"

a "local shop" who supplies domestic and/or trade needs with good produce is worth support, and you get nice food

i if wanted more than a fish local is overnight from the far northwest having been landed that morning, quayside shopping by trusting your fishmonger is ace

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 23 10:00 am Post subject:

We have fishmongers, but to the only way to get to them is to travel about 15 miles or find them at a Farmers Market. It is local caught on the whole, but tend not to have a lot of fish anyway. Meat, veg and British fruit is local grown. We are fortunate to still have some orchards and large storage sheds round here and several farms that specialise in vegetables and soft fruit. There are also very large greenhouses not far away that do things like early and late tomatoes, peppers and a few other things. Not so eco friendly perhaps, but better than massive greenhouses in Spain in some ways.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46210
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 23 4:27 pm Post subject:
baldrick is unhappy these irony meters are not robust enough

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 23 6:22 pm Post subject:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1859058151129572&set=gm.10159603053754891&idorvanity=29929404890&__cft__[0]=AZXRgeIKgG1_ZXQvBWmM097Q568KLvZTLufIIyh1dIbxyENGRxUoCmuxgCLcH_LkgnekhENrhsocYxKb9OywrzFwqxuAX4r8LjVGavbbuRzwDu7zaqByjb9PQjO_ObsNheiHRF5NRDW82WzsupX7AXB6DPQDzlQgHqyAdyCx4AbIV4O55TpoMuKtA90pkzm8vqM&__tn__=EH-R

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 23 8:32 am Post subject:
Sorry Ty Gwyn, can't see that. To put the £600m in context that is not going to buy an awful lot of new equipment and often big things are up to £1/2m each.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46210
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 23 11:22 am Post subject:

used machinery is cheaper unless it is broken and awaiting a part in the first acre of work, if work is harvest you lose the crop

£600 large
£ 250 000(average price for an efficient, reliable large machine rig)

6000000 divided by 250000= 24000 rigs

some rigs could be generalist, tractor, handling, pto kit etc for general farming

a specialized industrial farm may need several rigs for planting, harvest, processing etc, they are each several times above average cost

it does seem a fair chunk of "free money", however the devil is in the detail and the details usually have an entire pantheon of devils if the current government is involved.

always read and understand the small print and try to establish what was not explicit as well

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 23 5:07 pm Post subject:
https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/336658194_1128291517839553_3297900618317562145_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=1UYOmEUIkHsAX9ldTOm&_nc_oc=AQkBgR208u3WAmQmbmqiDWomPoQApCECMgBlIdUFTWy_tzIebzQ-P5OHhfIJBTGBtHQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-1.xx&oh=00_AfB-LMZ0bmnS9WisIzEoY5nzlOfeArkBjTIlCmpWP_k_ww&oe=641BCA1E

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 23 7:18 am Post subject:

Dpak, a lot of kit in some ways, but not in others. Any grant is useful, but having applied for a capital grant with impossible strings attached (using all of a capital grant for deer fencing to be used within 2 years when the overall grant is for 5 years and needs to be put in when coppicing is carried out), I suspect a lot will be unuseable or money
already earmarked.

Ty Gwyn, that is ridiculous. I am not sure what Defra are trying to do, but I suspect the result isn't going to be what they want. 'Rewilding' can work in some cases, but it has to be dealt with sensibly and not just a blanket 'get rid of grazing animals'. Apart from the stupid time scales and the effect it will have on farmers, Dartmoor and other moorland areas are what they are because of grazing. By cutting the numbers of animals so dramatically, a whole eco-system will be destroyed that has been working like that for millennia. The downs near us have a very thriving plant community because of grazing, and where that is stopped or destroyed (no rabbits), it scrubs up and the end result can be very dense woodland with nothing under it. I don't know what the result on Dartmoor would be, but suspect not what they want. In some cases there is overgrazing, but reducing the numbers of animals gradually until the over grazing stops would be a lot more sensible all round. Sadly Dartmoor seems to have a history of sudden and not always sensible changes since becoming a National Park.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46210
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 23 7:35 am Post subject:
it would not be far spread between bovine automegafarms in a box and some macro piggeries and chook sheds chances are the "strings" will favour cronies and donors rather more than small diverse farms

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