The Wardman Wire

Farmers may laugh. Or not.

A man owned a hill farm.

The Department of Wages claimed he was not paying proper wages to his staff and sent an representative out to interview him.

“I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,”
demanded the rep.

“Well,” replied the farmer, “there’s my farm hand who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him £200 a week plus free room and board.
the cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her £150 per week plus free room and board.

Then there’s the half-wit. He works about 18 hours every day and
does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about £10 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of whiskey every Saturday night. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally.”

“That’s the guy I want to talk to…the half-wit,” says the agent.

“That would be me,” replied the farmer.

Bit too close to reality for comfort, I think. Not funny - perhaps - if you make your living from farming (or if you are watching the world food markets). The graph below shows farm income trends since the 1970s. Source: DEFRA Agriculture in the UK 2007 Chapter 2 .

For completeness, the commentary:

In 2007, Total Income from Farming in the United Kingdom is estimated to have risen by 5.7 per cent in real terms. It is 40 per cent above the low point in 2000 and 64 per cent below the high point in 1995. The dramatic rise in farming’s profitability in the early nineties followed the decline in the euro/sterling exchange rate after the United Kingdom left the Exchange Rate Mechanism. The equally rapid reverse in the second half of the decade was caused by increases in the exchange rate, lower world commodity prices and the impact of BSE.

If you’re planning to comment in detail, it’s worth a look at the report.