Jacob Anthony: Farmers must trust the science

“We will base our decisions on the bedrock of science.” 

Health secretary Matt Hancock has said this so many times during the coronavirus pandemic, he’s sounded like a broken record.

Now, I’m not saying I’m a huge believer in everything that comes out of the man’s mouth but, in this instance, what he is saying is logical.

Science should always be trusted, as facts do not lie. Yet, there is still a wide section of the population who choose to disbelieve the science. 

When it comes to farming, we should all base our decisions on science.

See also: Jacob Anthony – Farm assurance schemes make sense

Agriculture has constantly evolved, with new information allowing more profitable decision-making.

Still, many choose to make decisions based on “well that’s the way Dad’s always done it”. We shouldn’t completely discount this, as often there is a reason why a task has been done for years in a particular way.

But I find myself shaking my head in disbelief at some of the arguments for not using the latest practices.

A common example in the sheep sector is the folk who choose to farm by the calendar – in particular, insisting on routine worming on certain dates.

Why not faecal egg count instead? It allows you to make an informed decision. Administering wormer only when there is a real need avoids animal stress and resistance build-up. In turn, it also saves time and money.

We have little influence on the future of the marketplace and farm support structure. What is in our power, though, is making informed choices. 

The good thing about science is that it’s true, whether you believe it or not.