|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Previous
Page Next Page Index
Contact Me Tel: (020) 8661 8965 Click for my C.V |
Crisis Forces Farmers
EuroAgriNet:
Offers Free Britain's farming crisis is forcing farmers to diversify, as incomes tumble by 45% on 1998's figures. Last September in response to the crisis in the industry, Newark and Sherwood District Council helped to establish the county's first farmers' market in Mansfield. Another began trading shortly afterwards in Southwell, and on March 23rd this year another was set up in Newark. However, according to the council's spokesman, John Briggs, " a lot of farmers are looking at e-commerce as an option." His colleague Mike Robertson also added that there seems to be a "slight confusion" about the value of e-commerce. He believes that many people think e-commerce is restricted to the promotion of organic farming products. The Internet is slowly becoming an additional new Farm Shop to sell directly to consumers. They have even opened tearooms to attract customers, and to encourage them to buy everything from meat to milk and cheese. In spite of a handful of farmers interested in using the Internet, the Government is showing a lack of interest in the use of e-commerce in industry. Both the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry for Agriculture Fisheries and Food said that they either have no information on the subject, or that they were making no provisions for promoting the issue amongst the farming community. This is contrary to the Government's own wish to make Britain the e-commerce capital of the future. E-commerce would benefit the small farmer in particular, by expanding the market beyond even national borders. The Government expects e-commerce to be worth £10 billion by the end of the year. The BBC predicts that in two years time it might even be worth over $250 billion (£200 bn). So why isn't the Government helping farmers to be part of this revolution? Prime Minster Tony Blair recently said: "We know there is a deep and painful crisis in parts of the farming industry. To put it bluntly, it has been confronted by three issues all at once: the rise in the £/Euro rate; the legacy of BSE; and a fall in international commodity prices. But the crisis also reflects underlying structural problems in British farming." These may be sympathetic words, but they do little to help the industry. Even the Labour Party's Web site says little about e-commerce. It just promises to help farmers to improve their own lifestyles. However, following the aftermath of a number of crises including BSE, the Government has pledged its support. Small hill farmers are particularly affected. There are nevertheless a number of independent e-commerce initiatives, such as Farmline's forum and the by specialist Internet Service Provider EuroAgriNet. The ISPs who target farmers offer free Internet access. Yahoo also helps those wanting to sell on-line. The company charges $100 or £60 per month for the sale of 50 items. Recent figures from the DTI suggest that 63% of UK businesses use e-mail. Only 37% currently have their own Web sites, and 15% of UK households own a PC. Around 10% of the UK's population of about 59 million people is on-line. Part of the problem will lie in consumers' concerns over paying for goods over the Internet. Even so location becomes a thing of the past, and the global marketplace can be opened up to the smallest of farmers through e-commerce. According to John Briggs the initiative behind e-commerce is to promote home-grown farm products rather than to encourage large wholesale businesses. The first farmer to go on-line was Mr. Counsell from Somerset. He uses the Net to sell sheep, and related meat products. So even though there's a long way to go, the potential market for farmers through e-commerce could be explosive. A number of dairies in Melton Mowbray have established a Web presence to sell pork pies and cheese. It is linked to a general Web site, which promotes the town and its local industries. Emnet in the East Midlands has pledged to help businesses to get on-line and sell via the Net. However, there again seems to be little support for farmers themselves. Meanwhile, a dozen or so farmers are selling their wares at the Newark and Nottinghamshire Show this weekend. The traditional methods probably won't completely fade away, but still the Government needs to fulfil its ambition but not without including farmers as part of the e-commerce deal. |
|
|||||||||||||||||
