READERS LETTERS

8 October 1999

READERS LETTERS

Handout is not what it appears…

The governments recent propaganda (News, Sept 24) where it claims to be giving millions of £s to farmers should be exposed as dishonest for two reasons. First, the money is to go towards new costs imposed by MAFF, which farmers did not want and saw no reason for. Second, the money will be spread over five years.

Farm minister Nick Brown has achieved his aim of making the public believe the farmers have had yet another handout. This is dishonest, and if farmers could spend the same money the government does on spin, we could show that this handout was not for farmers but for consumers.

Angus Irvine

Nill Farm, Hook Norton, Oxon.

Transport costs hit agriculture

Your campaigning articles Time to stop the rot (Leader, News, Sept 24) were good and clearly identified problems and some solutions. But you should have included one particular part of the agricultural scene that is often omitted from Press articles which report the plight of the farming industry – namely transport.

Transport costs affect everything in agriculture; the cost of animal feed, milk collections, machinery, the food we eat and, my own particular field, livestock transport.

Contrary to the belief of some farmers that transport costs are high, they do not cover most hauliers costs. They, like farmers, are going out of business or cutting the size of their fleets leading to more unemployment in rural areas.

Hauliers are having to wait longer for their accounts to be settled. Most of the many hauliers that I represent are working with the farmers and giving all the help they can to each other. But something has to give, everybody wants to survive.

Until the public recognises the burden being put onto the transport and agricultural industry by government policies of high vehicle excise duty on commercial vehicles, and in particular the fuel escalator, costs will continue to rise. That will affect us all whether we remain in the industry or not. No other small business is taxed so heavily anywhere in Europe.

We have, as in farming, very high welfare standards; that costs money to achieve – money that is not available.

Our concern is that cost cutting will take place to the detriment of these standards which we have worked so hard to achieve. The fuel escalator should be removed or reduced in the next budget.

We, and the farming sector, have to continue lobbying government and keep the public on our side. Farming and transport have to work together for both our futures or neither will survive.

Eddie Harper

National chairman, Livestock Carriers Group, 3 Fairview, North Brewham, Bruton, Somerset.

Supermarket price answer

The big four supermarkets should be classed as a public utility with their own watchdog setting prices. The food industry is just as important to the nation as the water industry and should be regulated.

The present system of the supermarkets being given a free hand to set prices should come under the control of a watchdog looking after the interests of consumers and suppliers. The market is no longer driven by supply and demand; the supermarkets are controlling both supply and demand with their pricing policies.

Given the level of regulation, it is not possible for UK farmers to compete on the world market. You cant compete with third world countries – you become one, as has happened to UK agriculture. If we want high food standards then we should ensure good profits for farmers.

Supermarkets are taking advantage of a loophole in the minimum wage act which does not cover the self-employed, and exploiting the farming community which has to sell its goods below the cost of production. Farmers are drawing out their savings, which are becoming supermarket shareholders profits. The results of many years hard work are being lost, as the farmers are trying to keep their businesses going. These savings used to be reinvested in new plant and machinery, and the result is the loss of thousands of jobs throughout most industries.

A better system is one which fixes the profit of the supermarkets at, say, 2.4%, and ensures that the whole of the food chain gets a fair share of the profits, right down to the primary producer. The Food Standards Agency could have the role of watchdog, ensuring that sufficient funds are passed back to primary producers to enable them to modernise and implement new regulations. Increasing profitability in the farming industry could breathe new life into the rural economy. There would be a future for the farmers sons and daughters to follow in their familys tradition.

This policy could also breathe new life into the small towns and villages, reintroducing the village shop and re-establishing a community spirit.

For further information please contact me.

George E Lockett

Ty Coch, Betws Garmon, Caernarfon, GwyneddEmail: locketts@tesco.net

Strong case for subsidies

I am writing to give your readers an idea of the effect that removing farm subsidies has had over the past 20 years on New Zealand farming. Twenty years ago a sheep farmer was able to make a living off 400 acres running 1500-2000 ewes. Now you need twice the acreage and stock numbers to make a living.

Smaller units need off-farm income to survive. Many smaller units have either been amalgamated with neighbouring properties, have converted to more intensive types of farming, such as deer farming or dairying. Some have even been subdivided into smaller, lifestyle blocks if they are near to large towns or cities. Many larger farms on more marginal land have been bought by multi-national forestry companies, and now millions of acres of grassland that were once grazed by sheep and cattle have been planted in pine trees. This has resulted in the closing down of small rural businesses and facilities such as post offices as the population moved away.

Until 10 years ago, I had an uncle who milked 60 cows on 60 acres and was debt free. Today a NZ dairy farmer needs to have at least 150-200 cows to make ends meet. Most smaller farms have been amalgamated with neighbouring farms, as a milk price payout of about 9p per litre still gives a better return than other farming options.

Most 4000 stock unit (ewe equivalent) sheep and cattle farms are now one man units, with outside contractors brought in for jobs such as shearing. Dairy farms up to 200 cows are also often one family units, with the wife usually involved around calving time only. Machinery replacement has been curtailed with old machinery repaired rather than replaced and more reliance now on outside contractors for making hay and silage.

As government support ceased, NZ farmers found that it was international market forces, over which they had no control, that determined produce prices. So they had to adapt and become better at what they were doing, or else go out of business. There were many casualties and the successful farmers of tomorrow will be those who seize opportunities and adapt their operation to become leaner and more efficient.

Robin Boom

2 Thorn Cottages, East Sutton Road, Headcorn, Kent.

Onion prices reflect market

I must respond to your article on onions (News, Sept 24). Nigel Rowe states that farmers are suffering low onion prices because supermarkets are importing onions. That is untrue. Most imported onions fill a niche market such as Spanish Milds not at present grown in the UK.

Low UK prices reflect supply and demand. There is over-production not just here but worldwide. Too many people are growing the crop with no idea where it will be marketed. Add to this fierce competition between the multiple retailers and we have low prices.

I agree that British growers lead the world in producing the best and safest food in the world. But lets not forget that it was the multiple retailers and their technologists who dragged British agriculture into the 21st century. Those same people, along with their packers in the UK, are now having the same effect in Spain, New Zealand and South America. Onions produced in countries that want to put product on British supermarket shelves have to abide by the rules.

The advice Mr Rowe should be giving his growers is do not plant unless you have a market. Too many people now the easy cereal money has gone are understandably looking for a quick fix. Onions are not it, stick to what you know.

Robert Oldershaw

Long Lane, Moulton, Spalding, Lincs.

Milk replacer points disputed

The financial comparison between whole milk and milk substitutes, "Milk replacer might not be the cheapest choice", (Livestock, Sept 10) bears little relation to the true costs experienced in the market.

The article uses a current price for milk powders of £1300/t. However, no mention is made of the wide choice of quality products in the market available to farmers at considerably lower prices. These products, many of which are priced at nearer £1000/t, offer excellent value and calf performance.

Based on these prices, the cost of a reconstituted litre of milk substitute is much nearer 12.5p than the 14.6p/litre quoted. That is still significantly below the price paid for milk, even in todays difficult economic climate and with the announcement of a further fall in milk prices.

The article also identifies the additional costs of milk replacers, but fails to recognise the other proven advantages. Those include convenience, ease of use, suitability for a range of feeding systems, reliability, enhanced nutritional value particularly in relation to the calfs demands for vitamins and minerals and finally product consistency compared with the seasonal variation in milk quality.

John Kingdon

Managing director, British Denkavit.

OP poisoning is a real danger

Geoffrey Hollis reply to Paul Tylers letter (Aug 13) is concerned at pointing out the importance of OP sheep dip clothing. He said the subject was publicised in the Institute of Occupational Medicines findings and was associated with exposure and OP symptoms. It is refreshing to learn that he accepts this condition exists.

Mr Hollis has evidently moved on from promoting the fictional book by Elaine Showalter (Talking Point, July 11 1997) and his statement that "a long-running hysteria surrounds OP sheep dips".

If exposure is through lack of protective gear, how did the Trading Standards Officer become affected, without contact with either the diluted, or concentrated chemical? Or even more surprisingly, the docker who was handling bales of wool for 12 years and developed profound effects of OP poisoning?

Few GPs are able to recognise the symptoms of OPs, because they have not received toxicological training, and misdiagnose the condition as farmers lung, asthma or even Alzheimers.

C J Coyte

Butland, Modbury, Ivybridge, Devon.

Who to blame for the crisis?

In response to Roger Cooks attack on Paul Tyler MP (Letters, Sep 3), NOAH fronts the pharmaceutical companies and so understandably has not been entirely objective over organophosphorus poisoning.

Mr Cook is right – farmers do often have an overly casual attitude to the plethora of chemicals they are asked to mix and use. But then they ought not to be given life-threatening materials insufficiently researched by the pharmaceutical companies before commercial release.

Moreover, OP warnings were not properly promulgated initially because MAFF was misled. Also, OP pour-ons were effectively prescribed by MAFF for the milking sector, hence the prevarication later. Governments do not admit liabilities, especially when the cost runs into billions.

The government monitoring agencies, in turn, ought to have monitored instead of merely accepting the assurances of the pharmaceutical companies producing the stuff. That is not monitoring in any material sense! Admittedly, it is difficult for MAFF because of short funding for government research, so it relies on venial hacks in its committees more than it should.

The biggest issue with OPs is, of course, still the BSE scandal, which is still to be resolved, dwarfing even the dipping. It has been put to bed for two years by the setting-up of the BSE inquiry, due to report next year, chaired by a learned judge without any science. One wonders why?

It is to be regretted that this kind of democratic mess can be costly in terms of human life and well-being around the world. It is simply hard to pin on the Sir Humphreys (also with no science) responsible for the system.

Lord Walsingham

The Hassocks, Merton, Thetford, Norfolk.

Dont become another victim

If more farmers listened to Paul Tyler and others campaigning against organophosphates and not to "experts" like Roger Cook (Letters, Sept 3), then the tragic list of OP victims would not keep growing. As a campaigner and victim, I know there is nothing worse than yet another person telling me they wish they had listened to our "allegations" because they have become a victim.

Roger Cook of the National Office of Animal Health is the voice of the chemical companies, so his bias is not surprising. The main reason compulsory dipping ended was that it was not eradicating scab. It was also suspected that MAFF was concerned about reports of ill-health among farmers and its own inspectors.

Alternatives to OPs were available but were expensive and had no preventative effect, and so were not widely used.

Ciba-Geigy dips supplied in the late 1980s had free washing up-type gloves and a rubber apron and advice to wear wellingtons. This compares with the present HSE advice to wear apron, gauntlets and leggings of PVC or Nitrile, wellingtons, boiler suit and face shield. I dispute Mr Cooks claim that these are "substantially equivalent to current ones". Operators are still not protected on their arms, shoulders or head or from breathing OP fumes, which the HSEs own Guidance Note, MS17, stated was dangerous in 1981.

The full recommended protective clothing is cumbersome and stifling, as my son demonstrated to MPs in an airy House of Commons committee room. He was in danger of collapsing with heat exhaustion after 20 minutes. In practice, dippers discard it rather than collapse while dipping and fail to use it when handling sheep in the months after dipping. There are safe, effective alternatives to OPs, including injectables or keeping a closed flock.

Dont forget – OP damage is cumulative. Please dont be yet another victim who discovers OP dangers the hard way – listen to the campaigners.

Jim Candy

Trerieve Farm, Downderry, Torpoint, Cornwall.

Free range birds lift meat prices

The recent decision of EU farm ministers to impose free range conditions on the poultry industry by the year 2012 is a step in the right direction. But surely the timescale of 13 years could be shorter? Three to five years would be more appropriate. The imposition of some kind of controlled free range conditions in the pig industry would also have been a welcome development.

Farmers, and in particular farmer organisations, should back these suggestions because they have many positive aspects.

All meat prices, including pig, poultry, beef and lamb, have been falling for years because of over-supply. If free range conditions were imposed, it would no longer be possible to produce this meat at 30p because the feed conversion rate would deteriorate. That would relieve the over supply and would lift all meat prices.

Also free range would be more labour intensive which would create employment.

So free range would achieve higher meat prices, more people employed on the land, more humane treatment of animals and birds and a more enhanced quality product for consumers.

Sean Lanigan

Gortnahoe, Thurles, Co Tipperary.

Cover girl was mother-in-law

What a surprise to see my mother-in-law milking a cow on the cover of farmers weekly (Sept 17). She is Mrs Elsie Griggs, Tremedda Farm, Zennor, St Ives, Cornwall. I think the photograph must have originated from an article on Tremedda Farm published by Picture Post in 1938.

She was born in Burma of Scots parents, her father being in the diplomatic service. When he died they returned to England. Her mother eventually married a Mr T M Dow, who was an artist.

Mrs Griggs then bought two farms here at Tremedda in about 1913. One was let and she farmed the other one throughout the First World War. After the war in October 1920 she married Maurice Griggs. He became a well known judge and breeder of Guernsey cattle and judged over much of southern England. They both died in January 1977; Mrs Griggs having arrived at the ripe old age of 93.

The farms are still owned and run by members of the Griggs family.

W R Craze

Tremedda, Zennor, St Ives, Cornwall.