READERS LETTERS
READERS LETTERS
Please dont whinge, be positive…
Its a bitter pill to swallow, but if we want to turn our industry around, welcoming in the process new entrants to the business, farmers at large need to do some serious soul-searching. We need to ask why arent there more young people queuing up to join the industry? What makes it so unappealing?
A perusal of "Letters" probably gives a good indication of what puts people off; wholesale negativity. Why would a sane youngster wish to join an industry populated by so many whiners? Times are hard, but bemoaning this fact will not improve them. Rather than stating our respective woes why not try to suggest credible alternatives?
As a youngish (22) farmer, the aspect of the industry which most depresses and even embarrasses me, is not awful prices and overproduction, it is my fellow farmers. Until there is a change in our industrys approach, looking for the good in things rather than the bad, we can never expect to be taken seriously by the government, public or the potential farmers of the future.
Jack Thorogood
S Thorogood & Sons, Skeggs Farm, Writtle, Chelmsford.
Conflicting F&M facts
I have received yet more conflicting information from our leaders on foot-and-mouth, about five months into the outbreak. It started recently when the county council opened the footpath which goes through my collecting yard and fields where cattle graze. They tell me that the risk of users spreading the disease are "so tiny as to be immeasurable." Great news.
But then, I read that FABBL will inspect farms only following strict DEFRA disease control measures. Also a DEFRA video on bio-security warns that we must clean and disinfect drivers of vehicles entering the premises. Does that mean I can spray all ramblers who use my path? I do hope so.
E Benney
Lower Penpol, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall.
Public inquiry by the NFU?
Our government has made clear that it will not hold a full inquiry into the foot-and-mouth disaster. It fears criticism, quite understandably.
Why doesnt the NFU show some backbone and propose that the union will hold a public inquiry, without censorship, into the whole affair? It should also make clear that its panel will not be composed of political friends of the government, but wholly independent.
A S Monckton
The Estate Office, Stretton Hall, Stafford.
Main culprit still in power
MAFF might be gone, as has Nick Brown. But the person who took sole charge of the foot-and-mouth crisis (Mr Blair) has not. Neither has the disease crisis. So if questions have to be answered, we know who to ask.
There has to be a public inquiry to put all our minds at rest – the tourist industry, farmers and especially the public.
R G J Thomason
Stickeridge Farm, Pennymoore, Tiverton, Devon.
Crisis cover-up avoids truth
The government should stop taking advice from scientists who are in its pay. They have all become subscribers to inventive science to perpetuate their own income.
Foot-and-mouth disease has been in sheep for many years and the immunity they carry has remained hidden until last year. That the governments scientists and advisers refuse to recognise that logic is deeply corrupt. It may suit economic principles but it has led to the senseless and mindless destruction of healthy animals.
The resultant ethnic cleansing of genuine farmers is hideous and unforgivable.
The continued cover-up of the realities behind BSE and F&M will surface eventually. Although the governments purposes may have been served by then, it will never avoid the aftermath.
I hope the government is evaluating the development of the crisis. History reveals what the consequences could be if the analysis is wrong.
Sam Millward
36 Scalby Road, Burniston, Nr Scarborough.
It was a crime not to vaccinate
It was a terrible crime of the British government not to vaccinate around flocks or herds infected during the foot-and-mouth crisis.
As British and American aircraft continue to take action against Iraq, if a resolution to the sanctions issue is not found, Iraqi agents could soon visit again to spread foot-and-mouth through our pig industry.
The British government deserve criticism for letting the farming unions hold one hand behind their backs by failing to use vaccination. There is no way that millions of animals had to be slaughtered.
Kieran Murphy
12 Altgarran Road, Oville, Dungannon, Co Londonderry.
Gill wrong on vaccination
After reading Mr Gills comments, (News, June 29) I would like to know when he became an expert on vaccination and how does he know what farmers want without asking them? Until he has done a poll of his members and announced the outcome of that poll, I dont think he has any right to speak on such an important issue.
I have spoken to Fred Brown, a world expert on foot-and-mouth and his opinion, along with Ruth Watkins, clinical virologist, Dr Paul Sutmoller, Simon Barteling and Paul Kitching, all experts on F&M, agree the only way forward is vaccination. Until Mr Gill has the qualifications of these people, he should keep his opinions to himself and listen to the experts.
Pat Walker
North Yorkshire Smallholders Society, Littleacres, Pickhill, Thirsk, N Yorks.
Keep up good work, Tebbit
Your cartoonist has just about summed it up with the caption, "No, no, DEFRA stands for Department for Eradication of Farming and Real Agriculture…" (News, June 22). Tebbit just about hit the nail on the head. Well done. Keep up the good work.
Jim Camm
Hollow Farm, Elmore, Glos.
Single currency farm benefits?
Christopher Gill, the former MP from Ludlow, attacks me (Letters, June 29) for not giving the answer to his highly theoretical question about the cash benefit to British farming from the UK joining a single currency at 2.90 marks to the £.
I promised that our staff would do the research to answer this question. However, Mr Gills single-minded obsession with this issue perhaps has led him to overlook the fact that I wrote the reply in the week that foot-and-mouth devastated our industry and my staff found themselves with more pressing problems.
Before answering the question posed, let me point out the assumption underlying the view of those who believe that the lowest rate at which the £ could enter the single currency is 2.90 is that this rate is likely to be the lowest to which the £ will fall. So, in or out of EMU, that fall is the maximum benefit that is likely to come to British farming.
Entry is that rate would give immediate cash benefit of about £400m, or a healthy 21% increase in net income. But that considerably understates the positive effect on agriculture which arises from currency stability. British farmers have been on a currency driven boom and bust cycle for the past 30 years, which has been enormously damaging to investment and profitability.
Christopher Gills understanding of these issues is summed up by his reaction in 1995 when the NFU first said that there could be merit for farming in the single currency. His reaction, at a time when the £ was worth 2.26 marks, was that we were mad because we were denying ourselves the benefit of further falls in the value of sterling.
Ben N Gill
President, NFU, Agriculture House, 164 Shaftesbury Avenue, London.
Monsanto view on GM case
With seven letters concerning the improvement of crops and food through genetic modification in one issue (22 June), I will spare your readers by responding only to one which is specific to Monsanto. Answers to most of the others may be found at either www.cropgen.org or www.abcinformation.org.
But at the risk of boring those who also read Country Life, New Scientist or local newspapers, may I state chapter and verse in response to Oliver Dowdings wrong assertions and assumptions about the Percy Schmeiser Enterprises case in Canada.
Mr Dowdings fears – indeed his letter – was based on the incorrect assumption that Monsanto successfully prosecuted Mr Schmeiser "despite his denial that he had ever bought any GM seed, and the apparent likelihood that they came via a roadside contamination." Not true.
To save reading the full 62 page verdict of the judge in this court case (http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fct/2001/2001fct256.html) you may instead like to follow this link for a summary of the facts of this case and judgment at http://www.biotechknowledge.com/showlib.php3?uid=4983&country=uk
In fact Judge MacKay ruled that Mr Schmeisers explanation was wholly improbable: The Canadian court therefore concluded that the facts demonstrated Mr Schmeiser had misappropriated Monsantos property – in other words, he had stolen its material. The conclusion is that this is not a case of seed contamination, pollen drift or wind borne seed impurity. It is purely a case of old-fashioned theft and any other interpretation of the court decision is inconsistent with the findings.
Tony Combes
Director of corporate affairs, Monsanto UK, Suite 23, Tulip House, 70 Borough High Street, London.www.monsanto.co.uk
Campaign for Milk Race
Having lived in the shadow of foot-and-mouth, I know the urgency and need to give the public image of farming and the tourist industry a boost. I am also alarmed by the anti-farming comments expressed by various "experts".
Of particular concern, as a dairy farmer, is the anti-milk campaign when millions of households enjoy their daily pints of milk.
The White Stuff advertising campaign may be halting the decline in milk consumption yet it is doing little, if anything, to boost its image. Dairy farmers put between £4m and £5m/year to this campaign yet one can visualise little benefit from our investment. When the campaign ends next year, what then?
Many successful advertising campaigns use sport as their vehicle. The milk race should be restarted as a vehicle for advertising the qualities of milk and its products. An ad-hoc committee has been set up consisting of myself, Barry Nichols, of Milk Link, Ian Potter, together with organiser and finance director of the Milk Race, Brian Elliott and David Lockwood.
Much has been achieved with promises of funding, with up to £0.5m from the Sports Council but more is needed. We believe that with the support of National Dairy Council and NFU, a total funding package can be found. Despite repeated requests to make a presentation to both bodies, no invite has been given.
The earliest the event could be organised is 2002 which coincides with the ending of present funding agreements.
Cycling is the UKs second most popular family sport and we, as a committee, believe the milk race would command tremendous family and media support to benefit all. The government spent more than £40m in setting up cycling tracks throughout the country.
If your readers share our concerns or wish to know more, please write to me or phone 01409-281205 or fax 01409-281877.
Allin Bewes
Suddon, Newton St Petrock, Torrington, Devon.
Quad bikes are safest tackle
We were amazed, distressed and very annoyed to read the recent full page advertisement by the Health and Safety Executive, "Daddy, Peters gone to die on a quad bike" (News, June 28). The advertisement was patronising to say the least. Sick and incorrect.
We have been agents for quad bikes for 17 years and the nearest anyone has come to an accident was when irresponsible teenagers turned one over. Even then, no one was hurt. The biggest danger is that so many of the bikes are stolen.
Quads are one of the safest pieces of equipment on the farm. A skateboard, such as the little girl is sitting on or, in fact, anything can be misused and big farm equipment can be a safety hazard. I cant imagine any child making such a statement – especially one as angelic as the little girl in the picture.
F & R Cook
Hillgreen Farm, Cranfield, Bedford.
Tenants win is no open door
In your article Tenants court victory (News, Apr 6), you report on a case brought in the county court between a landlord and tenant in relation to non-agricultural use of land under a contract of tenancy. The tenant was successful in convincing the court that his activity was not breaching his tenancy agreement and, in particular, a clause which purported to prevent him from being involved in non-agricultural activity on the holding.
I have been concerned that a number of tenants have considered the article to provide them with the basis for a carte blanche approach to farm diversification. Tenants should be warned that the landlord has appealed to the Court of Appeal. Assuming that the Court of Appeal upholds the view of the county court, any planned diversification must be judged against the criteria set out in the judges reasoning and in no way provides a completely open door to all kinds and all scales of diversification. Professional advice must still be taken.
The TFA continues to hold the line that tenants should not be disenfranchised from being involved in non-agricultural activity on their holdings and has welcomed the view of the county court in this matter. It awaits the outcome of the appeal hearing before providing further comment.
George Dunn
Chief executive, Tenant Farmers Association, 7 Brewery Court, Theale, Reading, Berks.
Four questions on OP topics
Now that the Co-op has decided to ban OP pesticides (News, July 6) can I have answers to four questions?
First, how common is dippers flu? Ask all the people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. It used to be called ME and, before that, yuppie flu. Even before that it was known as farmers flu and was originally called dippers flu.
Second, does low level exposure cause disabling neurological or psychiatric disease in a small sub-group of exposed persons? Why not ask all shepherds with low cholinestrase levels who have been in prison or psychiatric hospitals?
Third, other than cholinestrase inhibition what mechanisms play an important role in causing adverse health effects? Answer – the destruction of the second enzyme paraoxonase which causes heart attacks and strokes. Problem solved.
Fourth, what are the effects of low level exposure to OPs on children exposed directly or in the womb? Has no one heard of the Hungarian experience? 72% of pregnant women who ate fish contaminated with trichlorfon gave birth to deformed babies.
Brenda Sutcliff
Sheep Bank Farm, Littleborough, Lancs.
Smaller cows, less outlay
There is more than just weaning weight to the issue of suckled beef profitability. United States Department of Agriculture research has shown that, given the right breed and environment, small cows are the most efficient in terms of calf weaned to cow.
The experiment involved 20 cows from breeds which included Angus, Charolais, Red Poll and Simmental fed on four different levels of dry matter intake and measured the weaned weight of calves produced over four years.
Red Polls weaned 76 calves, Angus weaned 61, Charolais weaned 55 and Simmental weaned 51 calves. As others have pointed out, the cost of keeping a small cow over the winter is much cheaper than a large cow.
The ideal cow or cross is dependent on both environmental factors and feed/forage availability. Where conditions are harsh and forage is not lush, large cows will never be able to eat enough to perform efficiently. But small cattle like the Red Poll will year upon year calve, without expensive veterinary assistance, calves that survive. If you are fortunate enough to have lush pastures and a mild climate then a Simmental x Charolais producing commodity beef will befeasible.
If, however, you graze east coast marshes with the wind from Siberia during the winter, a Welsh mountain, or the Scottish highlands and your market is prime eating quality beef, then small native breeds like the Red Poll, with their low production costs, will be the more profitable way for suckled beef producers.
Eric Moss
Chairman, Red Poll Development Society, Botany Farm, Farnham, Saxmundham, Suffolk.