READERS LETTERS
READERS LETTERS
Others gain from British export ban
It was devastating to hear that EU countries have banned our meat from Britain due to a foot-and-mouth outbreak in Essex. Its typical of the EU to enforce such a rule as it will be to the benefit of all other countries that are currently in the midst of the BSE crisis. It will protect their meat markets and help their farmers to stave off bankruptcy.
This issue is not about food safety as foot and mouth is not contractable to humans.
Our farmers have delivered on food safety, animal welfare and traceability but have not been rewarded in the market place. Yet German beef with the spinal chord intact, which does pose a significant risk to human health, continues to enter the UK unchallenged by the commission. Why do British farmers implement and gold plate EU rules while other member states fragrantly breach them and use them to their own advantage?
W Ashton
Lawns Farm, Orrell, Wigan, Lancs.
Ban imports too, please
Can anyone explain why the government is not banning meat imports in the short term as well as our own exports in order to contain this dreadful disease? Yes, protect other countries from the disease spreading outwards.
But, as it is thought to have come into the country, why are we still leaving the barn door open? Surely Ben Gill should be calling on the government to protect our own farmers before protecting the EU first?
Is this outbreak bad luck or has it been deliberately instigated? Is it a co-incidence that swine fever and foot-and-mouth emanated from Essex?
Glos farmer
Name and address supplied.
Put huntings house in order
There has been much recent criticism of the amount of parliamentary time devoted to the hunting issue, while more serious issues have been ignored. Is there a parallel in the way that the march proposed for Mar 18 has been disproportionately associated with hunting while the countryside is in crisis?
I enjoy shooting and fishing when they are well regulated. It is fundamental to the conduct of these sports that a dangerous gun would be sent home or an angler using unsporting methods would be ejected from his club.
In the same way, we must put our house in order regarding country sports. Otherwise, the march will be judged by the public according to the worst among us.
Recently I had to interrupt work to chase lost beagles off my land. One, in particular, was howling at the gate of a shed full of sheep. These in-lamb ewes were jumping on each others backs and climbing the walls in panic. Over the past 30 years I have repeatedly banned both of our local beagle packs from my land, but to no avail.
The Countryside March is about choice but will these hunts ever give us the right to say No? Locally, the sport of hunting with beagles seems to invariably involve losing control of a pack of dogs, then spending the rest of the day hunting for them. They show no respect for farm livestock, wildlife or private property.
These worst examples of country sports are a far greater threat to the future of shooting, fishing or even fox hunting, than animal welfare extremists. They can cost us the support of the public.
Many people participating in country sports are not what farmers would recognise as country people. Beagles, in this neighbourhood, are hunted by a local military college and a public school. I do not want to see the present desperate rural crisis hijacked by such people.
Paul Haskins
Camden Farm, Radcot Road, Faringdon, Oxon.
Base support on bond system
I have been advocating the bond system of support for the past eight years. I, together with Sir Fred Catherwood (a past MEP) and Henry Plumb, now Lord Plumb, failed to persuade David Naish and the NFU that Prof Tangermans bond system was the best way forward for subsidising farmers.
That has not prevented me from continually advocating bonds. I am known as Mr Bond in farming circles particularly in the NFU. It has become more relevant because it would give small farmers, especially tenants, a financial opportunity to get out of farming with some dignity. I also advocated modulation which of course is a nasty word in NFU circles.
Gordon Ascroft
Council delegate for Beds and Hunts NFU. Nearcast.Ltd@farmline.com
Extend taxes to paper sheets
Environmental taxation should be extended to paper. A4 and foolscap should attract the highest rate, A6 the lowest and I would suggest 50p/sheet.
Copying machines should be licensed and to qualify an adversarial oral examination would be needed.
The abilities of those capable of shuffling two pieces of paper around a desk and sending an enormous bill would be restricted. But the powers of those producing something would be enhanced.
A E Searby
Mayfields, Croft, Wainfleet, Lincs.
Exploitation is the only word
I feel I must express my anger and dismay towards some of my fellow farmers who have recently been advertising for lambing assistants in your situations vacant columns.
My daughter 19, who has some experience, applied for several of these jobs and was met by some of the lowest rates of pay that I have ever known offered. I appreciate that the British livestock sector is struggling. I keep sheep and gave up beef cattle a few years ago but when keen young students are offered only £120 plus board and lodgings for an 84-hour week, including alternate evenings on call, I think this is exploitation. There were several others almost as bad.
Many students need to gain experience but they also need encouragement and to use them in this manner does nothing for the credibility of the industry. Many of these young people are unaware of the correct wages structure but we should not be exploiting this. Shame on the many who cannot even offer statutory minimum wages.
My daughter has now accepted a post paying the correct level of agricultural wages.
R J Angood
Four Winds, New Road, Chatteris, Cambs.
Farming Today gets it right
I write in response to Mr Adames (Letters, Jan 19) and Mr Kelsey (Letters, Feb 2) as chairman of the Rural Affairs Advisory Committee to the BBC. We are advisers not employed by the organisation.
For one who professes not to have listened to Farming Today for some time, Mr Adames has plenty to criticise. His cry for a return to the good old days smacks of a Scargillian wish for a once-powerful lobby still to have the clout it formerly did. The suggestion that all will be well with the world if only BSE is never mentioned reveals an ostrich-like mentality.
The average weekly audience for the last quarter was 668,000 and the number of farmers is about 180,000. Allowing that not all farmers, including Mr Adames listen, there are many people who are interested despite the early time. Feedback from many of them is very informative.
The committee, which deserves more than a little credit for the programme still being in existence, believe that it should act as a channel for communicating information and views two ways. Mr Adames may not like criticism levelled at farming from some quarters, but it is important that he recognises that it exists. He would be surprised at the criticism levelled at the programme by what he would call the environmental lobby.
While the programme makers are getting flak in about equal proportions from all quarters, we reckon they must be getting it near right. I think he would also be surprised by the backgrounds and qualifications of many of the team at Pebble Mill, who produce and present this and other programmes such as Open Country, On Your Farm and Countryfile. By age, gender and experience they are far away from the stereotypes that he suggests. They are a centre of excellence within the corporation which we lose at our peril
Finally I cannot deduce from his e-mail where Mr Adames farms, but I will gladly arrange for him to meet the team and hear first-hand what they are trying to do and why.
John Henderson
The Estate Office, Stainton Cotes, Coniston Cold, Skipton.
Single llama can cut predation
In September 1993 you published a letter from me outlining the results of Iowa State Universitys three-year study of 200 farms to gauge the effectiveness of their use of llamas to protect sheep from predators such as wild dogs, coyotes and foxes. The report concluded that keeping a llama with a flock of sheep reduced predation by about 85%. Half the farmers involved reported losses eliminated entirely.
Many of the farms that took part in the study reported anecdotal evidence of their llamas also being effective in reducing predation among other livestock including free-range poultry.
Since then the university raised further funds to study another 136 farms that were using llamas to protect goats, poultry and cattle. Cattle predation originated from larger predators than are found in the UK such as bears. Results show that llamas cut the amount of yearly predation from 13% to 0% on cattle ranches, 13% to 1% on goat farms and from 40% to 6% on free-range poultry farms.
The Iowa State University report concludes: "Overall, we found that llamas were an effective, low-cost, low-maintenance, non-lethal method to reduce predation."
I would be happy to send a free copy of the full report to anyone sending me a large SAE.
Paul L Rose
Roseland Llamas, Stockleigh Pomeroy, Devon.
Tescos claims make no sense
I write as a pig farmer and member of the National Pigs Association producer group, with reference to Tescos statement that all its fresh pork will have been fed on GM-free soyabean meal from June 1, 2001.
Tesco did not consult the pig industry before making this statement. Steve Murrells, director responsible for pigmeat, has not raised this issue at BPEX even though he attends its meetings. That unwillingness to consult will be raised at Tescos AGM in London this summer.
Tesco has also stated that it will not lead to an increase in pork prices even though the extra cost of GM-free soya will be at least £20/t. Tesco expects pig producers to carry this extra cost despite knowing the financial plight of the pig industry. Or is that part of Tescos agenda?
If Tesco is genuinely concerned about stock being fed on GM-free ingredients, why does it ignore GM oils? Also will Tesco give an assurance that its imports of pigmeat will also be fed on GM-free soya bean meal? If GM free supplies can be found this year, will they available next year when north Brazil loses its GM-free status?
Tesco claims its policy is being driven by consumers. Has Tesco investigated the validity of letters? What percentage of communications have come from genuine consumers and what percentage have come from Greenpeace activists masquerading as consumers?
Why did Tesco issue this statement before talking to the two major soya bean importers, Cargill and Arkadia?
If consumers are concerned about GM products being fed to livestock, they have the freedom of choice to select organic produce.
Robert Persey
Upcott Farm, Broadhambery, Honiton, Devon.
Blind alley on badger TB
Criticism of the NFU walk-out from MAFFs TB forum is unjustified. I am a member of the NFU animal health and welfare committee and NFU council. In an attempt to build bridges, I attended for one year the National Federation of Badger Groups farming advisory committee. And I led a discussion on husbandry practices at its national seminar, which incidentally MAFF refused to attend.
Goodwill was generated only to be sabotaged by the NFBG leadership. Similarly with the MAFF TB forum where the conservationists, hugely in the majority, refuse to discuss measures to deal with badgers, take up entrenched positions and ensure endless procrastination. Their only answer to the failure of MAFFs control programme is to drive farmers into ever increasing, unproven biosecurity and husbandry measures they cannot afford.
My members, although desperate and despairing, are willing to discuss all these matters provided they are part of an effective all-out eradication not control programme for the disease.
They have two pre-conditions. First, a holistic approach that treats TB in cattle and TB in badgers with equal rigour.
Second, a presumption that in most circumstances re-stocking to normal or planned levels will be allowed for reactors taken and for culls or finished cattle sold. A MAFF survey has shown the risk is trivial in relation to the benefit.
Hugh Black
MSAWharton Bank, Wharton, Leominster.
TB strategy too little too late
Killing diseased badgers (News, Feb 9) will not halt the alarming spread of TB in dairy herds but it may give small temporary relief. Killing healthy badgers will allow diseased animals to move into the territory vacated.
The current TB upsurge has serious implications for animal welfare and public health as well as farmers livelihoods. Lessons should be learnt from the history of the virtual elimination of both bovine TB and brucellosis from the national herd. It needs healthier cows fed from healthier soils, plus effective vaccination.
Has the governments abandonment of public interest research to save money been in the national interest? Or is it a dereliction of duty?
Organic pioneers insisted that the continual exhaustion of soil humus reserves by the repeated application of earthworm-killing superphosphate and toxic salts of ammonia would destroy soil microflora and mycchorhizal fungi which are essential for health. Sickness would follow. Healthy cows and badgers dont get diseased; they resist it by the strength of their immune systems. Why are they unhealthy?
Liebig and his disciples discovered how to stimulate plant growth with a limited range of concentrated synthetic chemicals. But they knew nothing, and cared less, about the enduring health of the soil and the plants it grows. When big business and public health are in conflict, government ensures big business wins.
Badgers and cows share the soil of their feeding grounds. Animal sickness is a symptom of a more pervasive sickness of the soil engendered by the chemical dimension, sometimes made worse by stress, of intensive dairy farm land management. Also important is reliance on a monoculture of shallow-rooted, mineral deficient ryegrass.
In addition to the development of an effective cattle TB vaccine, which MAFF promised 10 years ago, urgent epidemiological research should include studies in self-contained dairy herds which have had organic status for at least 10 years.
The current programme is a too little too late scattergun approach. It lets MAFF off the hook when it promised 10 years ago that it would devote the necessary resources for the development of an effective TB cattle vaccine within 10 years.
After wasting billions on BSE, how many more billions will be wasted on TB for the want of an effective vaccine?
Stuart Pattison
Church Lane, Calstock, Cornwall.
NFU just way out of touch
At the NFU conference, Ben Gill urged members to become "myth slayers" and to fight against unfair criticism.
In Jan 2000 NFU Business News, deputy director general Ian Gardiner reported that: "Our arable sector has the structure, the dynamism and the expertise to compete on world markets." He noted that when talking to members it was evident: "That farmers wanted price cuts sufficient to quickly bring them into a position whereby they could immediately get into world markets without the need for export subsidy. The last thing they wanted was a reform…which would only extend the pain of price cuts before the long-term benefits of globalisation would reach the industry."
These are the myths that need slaying. The myth that globalisation will have long-term benefits. The myth that our environment and wildlife can thrive in an agriculture that has to compete with American prairies. And the myth that family farms have a future in this factory farming utopia.
The NFU should turn its paranoia about criticism into an advantage for farmers. Charles Kennedy, Lib Dem leader, was right when he told the conference that the bulk of production supports must move over to environmental payments (News, Feb 9). We need to influence governments to realise that this wonderful countryside of ours will need continuing financial support if we are to expect farmers to perform the activities that are demanded by conservation organisations.
Then we can, once and for all, slay the myth that the NFU has lost touch with the aspirations of most of its grass-roots members.
John Cousins
Director of agriculture, the Wildlife Trust, Suffolk farmer and NFU member, UK National Office, the Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Notts.