May has brought better growing weather on the farm, with plenty of rain and now the sun has come out too. In this video I discuss prices and how harvest 2023 is looking, plus there's a new farm vehicle on test.
Thank you Harry. I despair at the government's continuing inability to understand that food security (i.e. home produce) is its strategic responsibility. Yet we have a useless minister who achieves nothing.
All round the world polticans are shutting down farming in the name of climate change Either they are all incompetent or they are up to something it's probably incompetence as new world order is way beyond our lot
When was the UK last self-sufficient in food production? I'm all for food security, yet we can't feed ourselves unless, maybe, there's some enormous dietry change or scientific advancement - and neither is likely just now, if ever.
Holland and their WEF Prime Minister is even further down the line of laying waste his nation's agriculture industry/food security, and that small country is amazingly, the worlds second largest food exporter. I'm afraid this is all being done by sinister design. ('You shall eat ze bugs, own nothing, und be happy!')
@@VanderlyndenJengold _When was the UK last self-sufficient in food production?_ Somewhere before 1700, after that with the navy we ended up importing a hell of a lot.
It's mind boggling how food prices are so high and yet farmers struggle to make any money,,, Do any cooperatives exist that put growers closer to the consumer, for example a cooperative owned bakery?
All the time people mainly buy from the big corporate supermarkets, the farmers are going to get screwed more and more. No miracle solution in sight, just consider buying locally produced products if you can and see if we can give local farms a bit of momentum over the next few years.
There are some cooperatives but they aren't the be-all-end-all for instance there is Arla and Friesland Campigna (for Denmark & the Netherlands respectively but they both operate in the UK [F-C sells Chocomel milk while Arla sells Cocio Milk & fresh milk to supermarkets) for dairy farmers but I don't know about for people farming other stuff although I believe the Co-Operative Group used to own some farms but I think they sold them all off after their 2014 Debt restructuring that included the sale of the Co-Operative Bank...
Another great video Harry, thank you. I don't pretend to understand all the ups and downs of the pricing of food stuff in the UK. Surely our Government should make growing food at home our best option. We all hear about food security and the impact issues around the world have on this. Not to mention the environmental impact of shipping in food from other countries. So, farmers should be reassured that they are going to make a profit on what they grow so they continue to produce food. It is all well and good taking the option to go down the environmental route and plant non food stuff on farm land, but this means we grow less and become even more dependant on imports.
Another very informative farming video. By the way, I had an Isuzu Trooper with the split rear doors. I think the idea was that there'd be less hinge strain on that wheel carrying door with it being shorter. I believe some of the earlier LRs had a bit of droop going on.
Back in my bicycle, ski, and go kart racing days (early 80's)a friend had an early Isuzu Trooper. We'd driven from Los Angeles out to Lake Havasu (border of California and Arizona, 320miles one way) to water ski/drink with friends. I had to be at work 7:00am sharp Monday and we didn't leave Havasu until 9pm Sunday. Somehow I got driving duties. It doesn't rain often in the desert mid summer but when it does . . . flash floods and all sorts of fun. I was charging down the highly crowned two lane rode north of 70mph and every dip (and that road is a roller coaster) was full of water (on the right side). For the most part I straddled the centerline but when there's oncoming traffic . . . eek. Sideways in a Trooper at speed - oh jeez. My buddy slept thru it all. He awoke 150 miles into the journey with me drafting a huge semi truck/trailer at 100mph down the Chiriaco Grade into Palm Springs. 100degrees+ F outside and the acrid smell of hot brakes. The things we do when we're young . . .
Hey Harry glad that at least some of your crops are making you happy! I guess you can hardly ever win em all but it's great to see you pleased here and there. 👍🏻
Thanks for the insight. A relief that it's doing better than predicted but price drops are worrying and strange given the Ukraine situation. You'd expect there to be more demand for home grown crops.
That’s not how it works. They’re ‘commodities’ & traded on international markets by vultures who cream it when prices are going up & cream it when they’re falling. As is always the case, the primary producer is the one taking the hit. 😬
Harry i have just read an article on bbc 29 may 2023 bee keepers are running out of kit to capture swarms .I initially thought no seed dressing ,but reading through a bee keeper said last year the bees had a good year so the seed dressing did no harm being a allotment holder for many years i found that honey bees do less polination than people think
I just do not understand this lack of food security. It must be much better to produce food at home as it were than importing. Of course, the government seems to have no idea how to support farmers. There seems to be no joined up policies regarding food production and environmental factors. No common sense.
Thanks Harry. I guess at least you have your cars/bikes to keep the smile on your face, because the crops aren't going to do it this year...! Keep smiling and lovin the videos!!
Talking about creating some expectations...showing a thumbnail with a Grenadier to then let everyone know that you are not going to talk about it...amazing you have gotten your hands on one and looking forward to hearing all about it.
You didn't say, Harry, why the price of OSR has dropped so much from last year. Is it because too many Farmers have planted OSR creating a glut? Your OSR looked pretty poor compared to here in Hampshire, but if other areas have had the same problems as you wouldn't it force values up at harvest time? Love to see the cattle out on the pasture....round here they were quite late out due to sodden meadows. Great update again Harry.....and I love the Grenadier.
Seems to be a fair bit of land being sold round us, think it’s some of the older boys selling up 😩. Hmm the ineos 🤔 as a long standing defender 110 owner I looked at one at a show, the back door, foot peddle position, couldn’t see the roof switches without contortions and only an auto box… I walked off at that point 🤣🤦♂
I'm appalled that the Gren doesn't have seats that fold flat like a LR4. You'd think they would make that a priority, being a clean sheet utilitarian design. They don't even come out since they put the massive batteries underneath. Big shame.
Now Harry I seem to recall you complaining about the rear door of the Defender 90 you had not being able to leave the door ajar to carry a long rake or something like fence posts yet now you’re complaining about the short door on this car! That short door seems perfect for carrying a long item without having to leave the entire tailgate open. While I’m looking forward to your complete review I think your criticism of the rear doors on this car is perhaps a bit unfair.
Dear Hazza, why don't you have a person standing behind the seeder with a shotgun scaring the birdies off, it looks like the crop is doomed with those buggers??? Kind regards Ben from nz
We need more info on the changes to the subsidies, surely the prices of foods is going to just go up if UK farmers stop growing crops and just take the government money to plant flowers, as nice as flowers are, you cannot eat them!
I was looking for a Landrover alike, had to be a station wagon to replace my Jeep Wrangler CRD unlimited.....New Jeep= Silly money and the Jeep Pick-up even worse??? I looked at one of those re-built to your spec Landrover 110s (could have bought a blinged G Wagon for the price they quoted). French built INEOS. sorry sir you might get one in a year or two and the cost will be silly money.....Wife got fed up, walked into an Isuzu dealership liked the AT35 D Max, ordered one, 3 months to the day........and she saved like 20 Grand on the Ineos...20 grand.....well I thought this pick up can't be anywhere near as good as say the Jeep Wrangler CRD with double Diff locks. Yes it was......morse stable crossing my favourite ditch (The Wrangler is on 32 inch tyres but has diff locks front and rear and the AT 35 only has rear and it goes easily wherever the double diff lock Jeep goes. (been driving off road since I was 10 in a Series Landrover).
So the consumer (taxpayer) pays for the farmer to plant inedible which can only force up the price of the edibles. Utter madness. And then supermarkets need to have legislation imposed on them regarding the price that they pay the farmer and price they can charge the consumer.
Great update Harry. Really think you and even Clarkson are helping show the public the trials of the British farmer. Seems mad that the government won't help support the local farmer to buy food elsewhere, where's the logic in that, unless you're getting money to make deals.... Anyway, hope they see the light at some point .
@@OllieW501 Govt policies are hitting all farmers. Yet Clarkson and Harry can absorb losses due to their income from other sources - they're not average farmers. They're hardly representative. Maybe I'm being pedantic over your post, in which case - apols.
@@VanderlyndenJengold agreed that they have other sources of income, and are probably alright, and are exceptions. But they're still trying to legitimately farm under these rules, and in this current economic climate. The struggles may not be as life or death for them, but they are still indicative of what others are facing.
How much are you willing to pay in extra taxes for the government to subsidise Harry? Farming is just cheaper elsewhere and, whatever they might say, people will not pay a significant premium for UK produce. The best that could reasonably be hoped for is some sort of stabilisation of prices to smooth out wild swings but it's easy to see how that might turn into a perpertual subsidy. I think Harry's great but I certainly don't want to subsidise him when he's driving around in a car worth 10 times the value of mine.
Such a big Brexiteer, promised a Welsh factory for this then after Brexit buggered off to France....from the Tax dodging Monaco resident!!!!! So disappointed that Harry is promoting this.
I used to like 'Gardeners World', now really boring. This is 10x more interesting and you're explaining the countryside I live to walk in. Best wishes with your crop.
The whole food prices vs what our farmers are paid is nothing short of a disgrace. Good to have you back Harry.....don't leave it so long ; we miss you!😢😊
So INEOS does a Defender that's more Defender than Land Rover's Defender. Cool.... Does anyone else remember when government's job was to ensure the security and safety of the nation? Be that food, energy or military security. Nice to know that our modern politicians see their role as nothing like that, regardless of political party.
Others move much slower, running a suckler herd, the bull is going into the cows now. The offspring from that encounter will come to market in Feb 2026 until Sept 2026. People talk about business being "fleet of foot and adaptable". We are working with nature and it's cycles. Great work Harry keeping people abreast of current problems we are facing.
For us, we need around 4 tonne/hectare canola to get around even right now. That's not that high, but there is many night before harvest and many thing can happen. Many farmers ditchi the oilseed rape around here too. Too much input, too many sparying, too tight margins. We did think about it too, but having 4 crops is a bonus after this year in the EU. So we only have enough to spray it with one tank. Another "funny" thing is corn prices. Right now around us(Hungary) is what it had 2-3 years ago.
The Ineos Grenadier..... Isn't that the French car from the Brexiteer billionaire that was promised to be made in Wales but after Brexit changed to France.....that Ineos Grenadier???
Great information again Harry. It would be great to reinstate those long lost meadows & lovely hedges with cattle grazing.. great memories from my childhood out walking and picking wild mushrooms 👍
Harry the little door on the rear is so you can still open the boot while you are hitched up towing. Also there is an ‘off road mode’ button in the roof. Press that and it turns off your parking sensors, start stop and your seatbelt bongers.
I think we are slowly but surely going back to farming as a cottage industry....return of hedgerows, rabbits, and game birds, mixed arable, a few sheep, chickens, and pigs. Natural fertiliser. On-site slaughtering and butchery. Farm gate shops and farmers markets as outlets. Feeding your community with natural quality produce. No greedy banks - all cash in hand! I can't see any other way, but that's me.
All looking better than the last review, I wish you well for a successful crop and harvest. Nice to understand a little bit of what farmers have to contend with. Cheers Bob
You always provide a great explanation of how a farmer is at the mercy of weather and the markets. Thanks! diversified farmers have the best odds of making a profit in the long run.
I know farming is very difficult. But has there ever been a year where a farmer was happy and didn't complain? Do they look back at (for instance) the 'great year of 1962' or is every bloody year sh@te?
Any business owner, if they sit back and say everything is wonderful, won't last long. No matter how good some aspects seem you always need to concentrate on the areas that aren't right. This year, crops look good but prices are bad.
Another excellent video Harry. Real world info delivered with a smile and a positive attitude. Hope all goes well for you in the coming months & thanks for filming.
Looking at OSR fields in North Yorkshire the crops look excellent. The stems are shorter so maybe a different variety but a solid wall of yellow. Very encouraging.
Harry - have you looked at Small Robot Company’s terrific solution to supporting farmers with selective weed control. It is pretty brilliant use of robotics and machine intelligence
Thank you for another interesting and enjoyable video. In Ireland short term land leasing prices are extremely high for grazing and tillage, this year from the outside it is very hard to see how profit can be made on it.
Seems unwise to base decisions on short term/annual prices, certainly unwise when (as last year) prices were atypically sky-high. It would be good for you to share long-term average prices for crops. If farmers plant next year's crops simply because today's price is high, then this will obviously contribute to a cycle of glut and dearth...
You know what Harry, it’s always the same looking at crops from the ground, look really good until you see from above, also see the mistakes too and am not perfect myself!
Have you ever considered growing industriall hemp Harry ? Yield 7 5 ton hectare. £160 ton. Your 100 acrre field could have had a yield 300 ton / £48K. It would be interesting to see the process of getting a license etc.
@Lookup2Wakeup he could grow that in his loft.........and hook up his solar panels to a heat and light system for it........your in the money now harry. haha
I do not understand why’d you want a Chinese looking Defender copy, it simply isn’t a Defender which is its first and quite major downfall and there isn’t any hype over it.
That is a serious drop in profits in the space of a year. I can't think of another business where the outcome is so dependant on outside influences. Market prices may dictate profitability but ultimately it's Mother Nature calling the shots, wether here or elsewhere on the planet and that is a gamble set to get bigger as climate change marches on. That grass fed beef does look delicious though!👍😀
Not only Tyrrell's Classic Workshop, but Harry's Farm too! It has always been the farm support services that make the money Harry, not the farmer. And the consumer at the end of the food chain struggles to pay the prices to eat. I would not mind the high prices if I knew that the farmer was getting some money back for their time and hard work. Thanks for the video. That oil seed rape looks very patchy, why is that? I am also surprised at the projected prices because here in Australia we have had some really bad floods on our farm land.
Behold, the mighty Brexitmobile! Would also love to hear Harry's latest thoughts on drought... given we are not a million miles away on the Vale of Aylesbury and the water butt is already half-empty before summer has even started...
Not a lot of choice of suitable Japanese 4x4's for farming use in the UK anymore. Realistically the only vehicles that are Japanese and 4x4 are pickup trucks from Toyota, Nissan and Isuzu. Mitsubishi used to be a UK 4x4 supplier but are no longer imported into the UK through a dealer network.
I owned an Isuzu Trooper II. Yes, the large door opened before the smaller one and it also mounted the spare on the outside, but it still had a rear wiper which the Ineos doesn't appear to have, I imagine they replaced it with a camera. I will say that I hope Ineos has figured out how to build cars better than Isuzu. That Trooper II started biodegrading almost immediately and the reliability was second worst only slightly ahead of the Isuzu Rodeo that followed it in my ownership because I'm a slow learner.
It would be interesting to know your thoughts on how we 'fix' farming. To me is seems that the market is rather upside down. The price of the product to the next purchaser should come from the seller but it seems to be the purchaser setting the price, or worse those gambling from the 'stock exchange' setting the price. I understand that farmers like the idea of using futures prices to have an idea of income but who is making the money from the current system? Farmers like you don't seem to be getting it, shoppers are paying more etc..
How can the politicians believe they are helping sustain the farmers with eliminating the subsidies and allow duty free imports of grains, etc. from countries who have government help. Additionally, local governments are stifling farmers ability to diversify by not allowing many small business opportunities.
Great update Harry, hoping it proves to be a good year on the farm despite the challenges! Will be very interesting to hear how you get on with the Ineos. I think you may have something else up your sleeve 🤣😀👍. Now I’m off to watch the latest Harry’s garage, you spoil us! 👏😀👍
As a fellow farmer, I find it interesting how and what non farming folks opinions are as to how Harry should farm. It is great that they are interested to see what he does. But with the greatest of respect, Opinions are like ‘A’holes, everybody has got one. Harry knows what he is doing and if there really was serious mileage in any alternative, he would certainly be doing it! However, please do keep the suggestions coming. You never know. One day you may be right!
I dont mean to come out swinging, but considering our farmers have been reliant on handouts to maintain competitive, I'd argue they need to open to any and all advice offered. The standard modus operandi of subsidy reliance has created a terribly uncompetitive industry.. A free market system, where competition to encourage efficient farming methods and a lack of subsidisation is the only way, I can see, to save British farming. If New Zealand and Australian farmers can do it, we can too. Some tax breaks and loan assistance to increase efficiency and investment in modern equipment should be all they need to get on. Or we can whinge about townies and lack of government "support" and get nowhere.
@@ThyCorylus So, you’ve forgotten that we are bordered by the EU which subsidises its farmers and which there is no way we could compete if our stopped. Our farm subsidies have already dropped by half in the last 3 years. Food inflation as at all time high while farmers cost have gone through the roof and grain prices are collapsing. Us farmers are all sitting with our arses well and truly clenched at the moment. How is yours?
People seem to think of Harry as a car journalist who's turned to farming, when actually the opposite is true - passionate and educated farmer who made some money reviewing cars!
