Editor’s View: Smoking ban has got me thinking about farming
© Tim Scrivener Roll up, roll up. Well, anyone born after 2009 won’t be in future after this week’s vote in parliament to ban sales of tobacco.
Smoking, like recreational tillage, has been in decline as the cost of it has soared, but there are plenty of farmers who count it among their toolkit of stress reducers.
The proposed law is curiously structured – the idea being to phase out tobacco sales by never making it legal for those approaching what would have been the age of consent and every generation behind them.
See also: Welsh farm leaders demand help for flood-stricken farmers
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Meanwhile, older generations who are already hooked get to continue to puff away in peace if they can afford it.
It got me thinking (with tongue firmly in cheek): what farming products and practices are banned in this way – and what could we add to the list?
Phased banning has already brought us the delight of the AdBlue addicted engine, with those not requiring a dose of the emissions-restricting substance increasingly taking on the appearance of a modern classic.
If grumpy drivers had it their way, I’m sure they’d look to gradually remove twin beacons, novelty horns and LEDs, but that would be absolutely no fun at all.
Perhaps farmers of tomorrow should be banned from reusing a single-use syringe, gradually phasing out one of the most flouted rules on livestock farms.
Other suggestions young farmers shouldn’t get hooked on are welcome on next week’s Letters page. Or they may like to consider introducing a few phased bans of their own.
While previous generations have been content to return to the family farm to work without a clear succession plan, this could be phased out in future by the withdrawal of labour until a few facts about the future have been put on the table.
We’ll have some more insight next week about how common succession planning is within the beef sector as part of a bigger investigation into how fit for the future the sector feels.
I would also seek to phase out use of the word “holistic” or “sustainable” without a common-sense explanation of what they mean within the context of the conversation.
Our lead story this week foreshadows the meeting of Welsh farm leaders with new rural affairs secretary Huw Irranca-Davies to discuss flooding.
This will be his first significant test in the role after the customary few weeks trotting between various kindly stakeholders (another word for the ban pile), to help him get to grips with the job.
After a difficult 12 months, there are plenty of farmers and lobbyists who would like to phase out the Welsh government itself.
But since there is no prospect of devolution being thrust into reverse, farmers will have to work with the government they’ve got.
It’s to be hoped that Mr Irranca-Davies will bring an end to the ban on common sense that was seemingly imposed by the previous leadership.