Hi
An off topic subject on the thread of "history repeating itself ? ".
The ultra sensitive should click on * next * now.
In a recent light hearted post about the EC Farming Subsidy funding family
history research I made passing
reference to the much more serious subject of the severe difficulties
currently endured by the UK farming industry in general, and small farmers
in particular.
It strikes me that what is happening now must resemble in some measure the
problems faced by our ag lab ancestors in the last century.
I know most of my own drifted down to north west Glamorgan from both rural
CGN and CMN in c 1880 onwards.
They weren't all farmers, but simple country folk .
They had large families, times were very hard undoubtedly.
They almost all became coal miners, initially anyway.
One cousin is still a hill farmer in Gla.
I have today read an article in a Sunday newspaper which has the following
quotes;
*Every week in Britain, two farmers, often young, take their own lives,
depressed over drastically reduced incomes, long hours and bureaucracy.
[That one from the Samaritans].
BSE and the collapse of beef,lamb and milk prices have sent rural incomes
plummeting to their lowest levels since WW2.
15% of farmers were expected to go out of business this year [ Prince
Charles]
Among farmers the suicide rate is 50% higher than the rest of the
population.
In one Welsh county alone almost a quarter of suicides each
year are farmers, in spite of the fact that only 1 in 10 of the population
work on the land.
In farmers up to the age of 44 suicide is now the most common form of
death.**
Not a pretty picture in the late C20, government financial help is now on
the way, but ,some will say , "too little, too late".
What will our farmers leaving the industry do instead then, no coal mines
to go to for sure.
A deeply depressing thought for a Sunday evening .
I'll get back to my C19 research I think.
Gareth
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