Opinion: Out-of-luck farmers wait for that elusive ace
© Adobe Stock As Kenny Rogers once said: “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.”
He could be talking about farming. Maybe he was holding 100t of malting barley in store, praying the price would shoot up?
Alongside Kenny, farmers are up there with the biggest gamblers of them all – in plenty of cases, putting the whole farm on the line just to finance the next roll of the dice.
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I’m an absolute addict to the rush of farming. Will that crop or animal grow, battle through the elements, disease and pest pressures to eventually pay out?
Maybe there should be gambling awareness-style adverts for farming? Results are not guaranteed and gamblers may lose significant sums.
But it’s the rush of turning out good stock and crops that keeps us hooked.
Most farmers could cut it in Las Vegas at any high rollers’ game.
Sequinned dancers crowded around a flat-capped and boiler-suited farmer on a blackjack table, shrieking as they beat the house again and again.
But back to reality.
Soaring costs
The farming stakes have been raised with the cost of machinery soaring, the weather roaring, governments ignoring and sea eagles literally ripping apart the livelihood from west Highland sheep farming.
Farmers can’t be blamed for walking away for a safer bet, whether that be environmental schemes or diversifications.
When Kenny said: “every gambler knows that the secret to surviving is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep”, he was spot on.
Never mind fashionable farming fads, ultimately it’s basic enterprise efficiency that is key to survival.
We’re getting more for finished bullocks than we’ve ever had, however the cost of store cattle is also more than we’ve ever paid.
There’s a lot of money walking around on four legs and we’re trying to making sure every kilo of inputs rewards us with kilos of beef on the hook.
Looking at the store cattle trade, with almost-finished cattle chewing grain we’re running out of, maybe now is the right time to fold and collect our chips?
But the inner gambler will stir again, running back to the store ring to buy more.
Perseverance in the face of hardship is the hallmark of farmers. Getting through the next few days, weeks and months will get us to the brighter times.
Sadly, thanks to inheritance tax changes announced by the Wicked Witch of the Left, Rachel Reeves, there will be plenty of people who feel they’re out of aces.
As farmers, our preparedness to take risk is certainly higher than the average Briton’s.
But the ever-increasing burden of farming is more than some can shoulder. In these circumstances, it really does help to talk.
Speaking to others can help offload problems, share ideas and ultimately find that elusive ace.
This winter has been a long one, with many downs and precious few ups. However, with the spring comes a fresh start, whether that be new life through lambing, calving or drilling in new crops.
Seeing the countryside emerge from its bleak winter complexion, send up new shoots and flourish is one of the many pleasures of this profession.
Perseverance in the face of hardship is the hallmark of farmers. Getting through the next few days, weeks and months will get us to the brighter times.
Despite the doom and gloom of government policy, now isn’t the time to walk away. If you wait until the next card is turned, you might just be holding onto a trick or two.