FARM UPDATE 117 - SUGAR BEET, EMPTY SHELVES, DRAINAGE, SCREEN ROAD PLANINGS, NFU CONFERENCE,

Link to Kier Starmer talking to us at NFU ‘23 conf:
Sir Kier Starmer, Labour Party leader, #NFU23
kzbin.infoG04SZLoG0fs?...
#SugarBeet #Farming #Manitou #JohnDeere8RX #QuadTrac #JCB #Fastrac #BaileyTrailers #Simba #SimbaMachinery #SimbaCultipress #SimbaUnipress #SimbaXpress #SimbaFreeflowDrill #SimbaFlatliner #HousehamSprayer #DalboRolls #Wheat #Barley #OilSeedRape #OSR #Oats #SpringBeans #SugarBeet #BritishSugar #SilverSpoon #Farm #Farming #Food #ForageAid #Cat

[@neviestix]

Conference has been so special to me for 12 years. I get the privilege to put together, read, and analyze feedback. Love your channel content.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Interesting job I bet!

[@neviestix]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard 😉🫣😆

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤣🤣🤣

[@paulstorer6937]

Good mixture of Content always make it to the end Andy nice to see the apprentice learning Drainage Work 🐶🐾❤️

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Cheers Paul!!! Apprentice!🤣🤣

[@SpudSlingsby]

Tbh I think supermarket greed is more of an issue than food being too cheap, they don't give a stuff about provenance.

[@johnhughes2113]

You are spot on with the food shortages, you need to to get on main stream media,NOW, before all this is forgotten let the general public know what’s going on, the defra minister was shameful at the NFU Minnet Batters should’ve held her to account a missed opportunity, good luck with all that you do but I feel your blog (as good as it is) is just preaching to the already informed, problem is the beeb and main stream don’t report on the truths. Thank you, god bless our farmers.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I do go on GB news with Allistar Stewart a lot and my local bbc and itv and radio. We need a different farming prog on a Reg basis who’s doesn’t need to be recorded weeks before it’s aired.

[@nigelgribble8736]

And I'd bet none of the 1200 there stood and booed Therese Coffey either..... all talk and nothing will change apart from more family farms going out of business.

[@johnhughes2113]

@@nigelgribble8736 they all took it on the chin - including the NFU president- then complain the industry is hurting them, farmers must stand up or as you say many will go under, the purchasing power of smk’s must be dealt with by the f t cmmisioner, no food shortage in NI thou!!

[@daviddawson2210]

Thanks for the update Andrew. A great varied video. The road planings will make a great surface for your farm roads and once bedded in will look good.

[@robertduffin455]

Thanks Andrew Be good to get you and Clarkson on a video chat about the farming situation Keep them coming 👍

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I’d love that too!!

[@robertmartin259]

Thanks,

[@richardbaker22]

Great video

[@chrispayne1029]

Great Video great job Andrew 👏👌👍

[@brightspark5039]

Andrew, I live in Australia, and we have the same problem here with supermarkets screwing the price down, but they are just releasing 1/2 yearly profit figures of nearly a billion dollars or more so its definitely suppliers and consumers who are paying the price for their greed.

[@davidedge2189]

Retailers (Tesco)made 3/4 billion last year,so they could buy another site and build another supermarket that we don’t actually need.windfall tax never even got a mention

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Interesting you have the same problem. Their margins are obscene.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Horrendous. 😡

[@nige5272]

Well presented Andrew👍

[@jonstephens682]

Morning Andrew, cracking video again mate, I had quite a long conversation with a member off the public yesterday (a townie) 😂 about the supermarkets and the empty shelves and he had no idea that the problem was down to the supermarkets not paying enough so I educated him and told him to tell all his friends. I mean do you see about the bad weather abroad on the news? No you don’t because there isn’t any bad weather. Keep up the good work.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thanks John. That’s brilliant you doing that. We all have a part to play. Social media can be powerful, that’s why I use Twitter a lot for these things.

[@jonstephens682]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard well I feel the general public should realise that it’s the supermarkets that are wreaking British agriculture not the weather aboard it’s been happening for years but nobody listens but there listening now aren’t they.

[@charlesyeo8252]

Sorry but Andrew has got this one wrong. Southern Spain has had a cold mid winter in the Almeria region that has 76,000 acres of polly tunnels that produces most of Europe’s out of season produce, they could not afford the high gas prices to heat the tunnels which they would have done in other years. Week 5 and 7 of the year production was down 25%. The super markets are also responsible for screwing down prices so that they could not afford gas.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I’m only relaying private messages from veg producers here.

[@bumpkinrocks]

Our neighbours had 1000 tonnes of plainings put down on their tracks. The plannings were dry so ended up getting a hot liquid tar put down over it and rolled in. Worked out very well and is holding up really well, pretty much tarmac.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I’ve heard that before. Also spraying with diesel in hot weather and then rolling does a similar job.

[@andrewmaccall5871]

Quite an operation to screen and grade plainings, but no doubt worth it for upkeep of tracks etc. Wondered about when your new sprayer was coming, shame it's delayed. But as you say if its supply issues to the manufacturer there is not a lot anyone can do. Great vid as usual.

[@treve2627]

Good morning Andrew, I agree with everything you said about Therese Coffey. Supermarkets haven’t changed over the years,growers pay for the promotions. Many years ago we grew Little Gem lettuce for them. They went on promotion selling three in a pack for the price of two and therefore we harvested three acres for the value of two. We stopped growing them after that because it was not profitable. I enjoy your Waffles every week.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

👌👍😊

[@robertirving5293]

Goon afternoon Andrew been got the Farmers Weekly last week good reed on Keir Starmer some think got be done lot's off farmers out there and your self like to grow lot's off vegetables and wheat in the UK O bye the way down here this morning -6 Monday 28th any way take see you next time .

[@philipedwards8492]

We could do with some planings round here in Herefordshire, the potholes on the roads are horrendous ! ☹ that looked like a nice piece of Beef Andrew, I like mine sliced thin too🙂 Thank for another great video

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

A bit far to take them I think! So often a good joint of beef is ruined by carving as thick as a steak and that’s at good restaurants too!

[@andymercer8092]

Good update again. This food shortage really is a joke. Low prices in supermarkets mean putting growers in our country out of business.

[@bobcrawford2105]

Like the us of old technology to find drainage pipes Food supply is going to be a problem unless the government/ supermarkets realise people need feeding even the unwelcome ones in there dinghies

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Too right Bob, it’ll get worse yet.

[@elmton.john.1961.]

While ever there is an empty shelf in a supermarket they are losing money, perhaps this might make them look at the bigger picture but I doubt it. Keep on waffling Mr Ward that's why we watch you!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thanks John! I doubt it too.

[@charleswillcock3235]

Hi Andrew, yet another great video from you. If the NFU want to join the rest of us in 2023 they need to dump their PR company and their cringing farm video (I am not sure why farmers need telling what farmers do - totally beyond me), and get you to produce their 2024 video. Farmers need to say what price is necessary for egg producers to produce at and likewise those who grow:- • Romaine Lettuces • Tomatoes • Green, Yellow and Red peppers (I know they are the same just at different stages of ripeness) I buy all of the above in Aldi every week. (By all means comment on any other produce / prices.) This week I did get some eggs but the egg shelves were virtually bare. If the answer is Romaine Lettuces need to be £10 each in February then they are beyond my pocket but if you say the two pack needs to retail at £1.45 instead of 95p I think they are now £1.05 this week, then I would rather have security of supply and pay a bit more. Similar tomatoes the plum ones are about 95p for a punnet - what price would they need to be? Peppers - again what price would be necessary to get UK producers to grow them? It has been a while since I have shopped in French supermarkets but when I did I noticed they tended to only sell what was in season in France, should UK consumers fall back to that? I guess in summary I think farmers should be more specific about what prices would be fair to them, allow the supermarkets to cover their costs and profit, and would ensure a continuity of supply to the customer. Whilst not all UK consumers are interested in the well-being of farmers I think the majority are.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thank you, I don’t think they’ll ever ask me to produce their video, I’m too much of a lose cannon!!

[@roberthiggins6401]

Just a suggestion Andrew. It would be good if you and other y t ers could connect with other farmers around the world on the problems faced so both could share a sort of questing and problems on their channels. For instance you and a farmer in the Netherlands because farming is all connected and most people in this country are not aware of what's going on over there and vice versa, it needs another that has a more broad following of people around the world with a huge sub base but I'm not sure who? Maybe some one else could suggest someone? Do a videoed podcast and share to sometime else that would put it up also. Not sure I explained it very well. Just thought maybe Harry Metcalf, he's got two channels, Harry's farm and Harry's garage he farms very close to a Mr Clarkson.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Interesting thought.

[@alanbillingsley2604]

So frustrating Andrew regarding the government and the supermarkets, how Sunack can stand there and say he has your back is beyond belief. Coffey clearly has no idea what she is talking about, let’s hope the NFU can get on top of it and we get a change in government asap. I feel your pain.

[@philipsankey988]

Did you put a coin /washer on the pipe and walk from it ,to work out the depth of the pipe when water diving

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

A coin washer? What does that do? I can make it work any way!

[@philipsankey988]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Im not sure of the science as regards when a coin /washer is put down on top of the pipe,but when its done and you walk away ,the diving wires cross,if you take the coin/washer from there and do the same procedure walking away they dont cross,just have to double check there isnt another water course under ground first,I can water divine,try it the next time when some water diving is done,the distance from the coin/washer is the approx depth of the water pipe under the ground

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I’ve never heard that before! Thanks, will give it a go.

[@philipsankey988]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Thought it might come in useful so you can find the end of the drain pipe,with the depth,can find water pipes as well.Some people can use a hazel stick in the shape of a Y,hands holding the two ends,,this used more so for finding an under ground stream to tap into for a borehole,when you are over it the stick turns up hill

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I’m still unsure about your pre ious message regaling the coin. Where do you put it if you can’t find the pipe?

[@robertsmith9810]

So much for government pledge on food security You should know by now as a supplier when super markets say jump Answer how high and that will not change wich ever government is governing us

[@jamestatham9950]

I'd have thought you would have been taking some of the planning straight out to the tracks instead of stacking it up again and having to handle it again!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It’s too cold to lay them now and the grader is too busy grading soil for footy pitches and golf courses in the summer when it’s ideal for laying the planings .

[@jimgannon1917]

Just remember , Some people are deciding , between eating or freezing.. .there more votes there.

[@roberthiggins6401]

All these migrants in hotels could be out picking but the government do nothing, same with the able unemployed even if its part time. With regard to the conference Andrew, any in future it would be worth asking farmers to film one speaker each so its all recorded and they can share the video for you to put up if there is anything noteable

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

That’s an idea for next year.

[@daveswords2112]

Always annoys me how supermarkets cause these problems. Can farmers joini together when negotiating with them?

[@whathasxgottodowithit3919.]

Very true, they the Supermarkets wont pay the money. By the same token farmers, and the public should not rely on cheap foreign labour to harvest the crops. Probably for too long we have taken cheap food for granted. The growers need a realistic return, and staff need a realistic wage. We should get used to paying a realistic price for our food. Supermarkets take note when when negotiating contracts with farmers & growers.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Foreign labour earn good money picking out veg but I get your point .

[@ianatkinson9227]

Government don't give a toss paying farmers to plant trees and take land out off production should be changed where will all the food come from unbelievable how our prime minister can stand there and say he his helping farmers a lot of farmers are exhausted and working for nothing 👍🚜

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Totally agree, they think all our food can be imported.

[@philipgraham6980]

Its not only that food is too cheap it the greed and the obscene profits these huge supermarkets insist on making. That beef was well over cooked, I prefere it a lot pinker, probably delicious anyway.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I agree, I prefer the beef less done.

[@philipgraham6980]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard To be honest I like mine that rare a good vet could bring it back to life.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤣🤣Now that is too much the other way for me,

[@petergardner2334]

super markets it should illegal to sell be low cost as it is in GERMANY