What farmers should highlight when debating over financial assistance?

The financial plight of some farmers explored

14:43 16 April 2013

What do weather and finances have in common? If you’re a farmer in Wales, they are directly related. Severe weather that buried herd animals in snowdrifts has caused a number of animal deaths. For famers who depend on herd animals to keep their business finances successful, this has created a drastic setback.

 

Farmers have requested aid above and beyond the normal Common Agricultural Policy, but their financial pleas have been rejected by the Natural Resources and Food Minister. While farmers have continued to try and press their case, there are a few routes which could prove more successful to their cause.

 

• The plight of the farmers and loss of animals is not merely the amount of significant work to recover animals, but also involves a dramatic reduction in potential income.

 

• An overall estimate of the number of animals lost in the particular area affected can be translated into a monetary value for greater emphasis.

 

• Highlighting the consequences of no aid may gain farmers the upper hand. An extensive and widespread loss such as this one will inevitably raise the prices for any of the related products from such farming activities.

 

• Estimating the timeframe for adequate herd recovery and economic recovery may also enhance their request for financial assistance.

 

• Farmers should point out that other areas which suffered a similar fate have already received emergency financial assistance.

 

Farmers will need to be thorough and will need to focus on the financial aspects of the loss in order to impress a level of severity upon government entities. The fact that the financial repercussions of this event will not be limited to the farmers should also be carefully considered by the Natural Resources and Food Minister.

 

Financial setbacks within any type of farming profession can greatly affect the economy, and farmers will be forced to raise their prices in order to compensate for the loss which could result in lower sales, perpetuating a vicious cycle.