READERS LETTERS
READERS LETTERS
Welcome words of wisdom
Prince Charless words at The Royal Show, Stoneleigh, are welcome but follow on the heels of similar statements from politicians and industry leaders who talk of the need for new co-operation in the field of marketing.
Before spending millions redesigning the wheel in a more modern rectangular version, lets look at the perfectly round model offered by the livestock auction market.
As with all in the livestock sector, it has had a rough ride since 1996. But the storms of BSE; the closure of export markets; the rise of the £; and most recently foot-and-mouth, have been weathered.
That is despite the best efforts of over-zealous DEFRA vets who wish to see the 20 day handbrake firmly applied to livestock farmers and markets.
Auctions have received nothing during this time and still offer the best opportunity for fair competition and co-operation through the active participation of both willing buyers and sellers. In contrast many "here today gone tomorrow" organisations have received industry money, promised much and delivered nothing.
Lets have a good look at auctions and bring in all their supporters and critics. Bring in the big retailers to have their say.
In the past criticisms revolved around issues such as welfare and traceability.
With those now history, their current objections may be down to that simple word competition. It is a word they dont like when it can mean prices going up as well as coming down.
Lets take the shackles of bureaucracy off the livestock industry; give markets as much support as any other sector.
Lets allow livestock farmers to show what can be achieved when they have the opportunity to market their stock in an arena of competition.
Peter Kingwill
Chairman, Livestock Auctioneers Association, Surveyor Court, Westwood Way, Coventry.
Eggs from the EU, not UK
Battery hens banned; Cost of eggs will escalate, said the newspaper headlines. Dont worry, we will still get battery eggs at knock down prices from guess where? The EU – along with all the rest of the meat, milk and poultry that is imported.
When will this country wake up to the EU and its vindictive directives? What will be next? Will farmers be allowed only so many cows and sheep per farm?
Britain will probably join the k if Mr Blair and Mr Brown have their way. Then prepare to watch all come tumbling down.
Someone should point out to Mr Brown, that his position as Chancellor would be on the line with the k. Thats because everything in euroland is done from Brussels.
G. MacDowel
31 Preston Lane, Lyneham, Chippenham, Wilts.
Egg imports will fill gap
We have read in the national Press that under animal welfare proposals, battery cages for poultry in the UK are to be banned in the future. The welfare issue is a debate that is difficult to argue against, but any alternative to the battery system will cost much money which the industry does not have.
The effect will either bankrupt many producers or they will decide to close down when the date becomes effective. In turn that will leave a large shortfall in the egg market which will have to be filled from abroad.
The supermarkets which control most of the food purchasing from farms, including egg sales, are verging on being Draconian when it comes to its demands on British farmers. When the shortfall in egg production is apparent, knowing the supermarket ethos, they will go to the cheapest source. That will be from a country and producer that is not known to the public. Will they and our non-patriotic government ensure that these same welfare standards are imposed on foreign producers? I dont think so.
G A Vigrass
Bexwell House, Downham Market, Norfolk.
New potatoes in February?
For the whole of February this year our local Somerfield supermarket sold "English new potatoes". These were large spuds packed in loose sandy soil to make them look farm fresh. I bought four out of curiosity. They were medium-sized with set skins and started to sprout within three days.
I rang Trading Standards (Hants) to point out that English new potatoes could not possibly be available in February and that these were stored maincrop ware. I also suggested that after 50 years of growing spuds I knew what was what.
They turned out to be Israeli main crop and were re-labelled. That had to be done in all Somerfield stores throughout the country. How much damage was done to consumer relations in those few weeks?
Penny Hamblen
Winnham Farm, Fareham, Hants.
Big question over F&M
I write regarding reports (News, June 28) that no foot-and-mouth virus was held at the governments Porton Down research facility. It is hard to see how Jim Scudamore could state that there was no F&M virus kept at Porton Down when The Sunday Express reported (Apr 8, 2001) that a test tube went missing from this highly sensitive laboratory two months before the F&M outbreak.
The same article stated that Special Branch and MI5 would be investigating the matter. Should DEFRA be making these investigations about itself?
Another interesting point is that Porton Down is a military establishment and the Waugh brothers were collecting swill from another military establishment near their farm at Heddon-on-the-Wall. Could there be a connection?
John Fagan
Watersplash Farm, Fulmer, Buckinghamshire.
Local hunts real culprits
The attack by a fox on a 14-week-old baby in England has caused outrage on these islands. Callers to radio programmes have expressed horror, denouncing foxes as vicious pests that ought to be exterminated without mercy.
While such concern for the safety of children must take precedence over animal welfare issues, we mustnt lose sight of the real culprits. Hunting clubs seek to exploit the fear and hysteria aroused by a childs harrowing ordeal, release fox cubs into parts of the countryside where they consider the animals have become scarce. These include districts that border on towns and city suburbs. They do this to ensure a plentiful supply of foxes for the next hunting season.
Far from controlling fox numbers, the bugle blowers actively promote an imbalance in the fox population. They introduce this "sporting" quarry species to areas that are unsuitable for it from an ecological point of view.
A single, clean shot from a high-powered rifle will dispatch a fox in seconds. Chasing it with a pack of hounds across miles of open country is both ineffective as pest control and cruel to the fox.
A hunted fox either escapes to go about its business, or gets ripped apart by the pack. Neither option makes sense from a conservative point of view, leaving aside the ethics of hunting.
So next time readers hear about a fox attempting to carry of a baby, or cleaning out the chicken house, they should think twice before supporting the local hunt.
John Fitzgerald
Lower Coyne Street, Callan, Co Kilkenny, Eire.
Single form of subsidy works
After recovering from witnessing the unutterable hypocrisy of the latest round of US farm subsidies (Business, 21 June), we must admire the fact that at least one free enterprise economy has recognised, and now adopted, the only successful state support system yet invented. That is deficiency payments. While subsidised America expands, Britain is heading towards 50% set-aside. Whos crazy now?
Britain had a highly effective deficiency payments scheme with supply management before we got embroiled with the CAP nonsense with its encouragement of endless overproduction.
Deficiency payment schemes provide a balanced support for producers and a fair market price with security of supply for consumers without destroying home agriculture which free trade is doing.
Do not forget that the World Trade Organisation was an American scheme to open up other countries markets as a dumping ground for US sub-standard subsidised exports. In recent years, those have notably included GM crops, hormone-tainted beef, and BST contaminated dairy products. No wonder they cant sell the stuff by fair means.
At the rate it is going, the US will get thrown out of the WTO, an example that Britain should follow. Food production and farming are much too important to be handed over to a bunch of unaccountable multinational commodity traders in servile subservience to an outworn and historically flawed mercantilist doctrine.
Food should be removed from the WTO agenda and agricultural policy steered towards local supply, self-reliance, a minimum of food miles and concomitant transport pollution. The emphasis should be placed firmly on local food security.
Stuart Pattison
Church Lane, Calstock, Cornwall.
Damage claim unjustified
Farmers cause £0.5bn of damage was the environmental headline of Green News on ITVs Teletext on June 25.
According to the article: "Farmers are increasingly escaping without penalty for environmental crimes despite causing damage to the countryside valued at £0.5bn/year." That was apparently the view of the Environment Agency, which says more farmers should be prosecuted to decrease such crimes.
It is, of course, the sort of untruthful and unjustified criticism that UK farmers have, alas, become used to hearing from the government.
In the past, 50 years the major damagers of the countryside have been increased noise, urbanisation and pollution. This has been caused an ever-increasing population, higher living standards and dramatically increasing road and air travel. Meanwhile, governments have produced so many laws, rules and regulations for farmers to obey that I would be surprised if even a top lawyer specialising in agriculture has a proper grasp of all of them.
Farmers obviously must try to obey every law they have ever heard of. But for us to be labelled as "environmental criminals" and subjected to punishments greater than that given for many crimes of violence and burglary for occasional failures to achieve total compliance is wrong. It is akin to calling doctors and nurses criminals for costing the NHS £bns a year for medical negligence. Its insulting, unjust and unhelpful.
Tom Claythorne
Hillcroft Farm, Beaworthy, Devon.
Conference RSPCA issues
After the recent RSPCA AGM in London, there was a conference on animal welfare. A Scottish legal expert highlighted the fact that the imminent legal challenge at the High Court in Edinburgh, together with the possible appeal to Europe, would delay the ban on hunting for up to three years.
The issue was also raised of Tesco selling its own-label fresh chicken, falsely labelled as being of the RSPCA Freedom Food Standard. For six months Tesco had been deceiving its customers, abusing the name of the RSPCA and its members and undermining the work of those farmers who had been producing stock to the RSPCA standard.
The chairman refused to allow the subject to be discussed saying that because the chicken concerned were not of the RSPCA standard, it was nothing to do with the RSPCA. Despite the conference being about animal welfare, nobody in attendance could answer questions about the RSPCA Freedom Food Standard. The chairman did agree to look at a prosecution the next time that it happened.
Robert Persey
Upcott Farm, Broadhembury, Honiton, Devon.
Road blocks a viable option
I read with interest John Clarks Talking Point (June 28). I have one simple way to put into action a plan that would hit home. Here in Kent we have a continuous procession of refrigerated lorries bringing in subsidised fruit, vegetables and meat through Dover Docks and the Channel Tunnel.
A few imaginative farmers could block these to stop the vehicles entering Britain. It seems, from French action, that the best time to do so would be the last week in August.
David Chanter
Broadstone Farm, Grafty Green, Maidstone, Kent.
Why did pig have no ID?
Is junior DEFRA minister Elliot Morley asking us to believe that an unidentified pig travelled to Selby market (News, June 28) where it was seen by Trading Standards officers, DEFRA vets and presumably the auctioneers who sold it? Was it then purchased by another unidentified party who moved it by unidentified transporter to Dawkins Abattoir. During this time nobody noticed it was sick and lacked identification. Pigs might fly – this one certainly did. Someone at some time removed its identification.
Why? There can be only two reasons. First, it was done deliberately to draw attention to the continuing need for useless regulations and discredit farmers. Remember that Mr Morley told the public on Radio 4 that: "Farmers had learned nothing in the last year." Second, that the source of the pig could embarrass the government.
Not long ago a pig in Yorks was the subject of a TV expose. Tethered pigs said to be kept in filthy conditions were allegedly owned by a Labour peer who is a government adviser on animal welfare.
Mr Morley is wrong. We are learning a lot about living under a government that has difficulty with the truth.
Pav Rickett
Wood Farm, Everdon, Daventry, Leics.
Keep breeds British…
Cattle breeders, and farmers in general, are like managers of the Premiership football league. Many farmers dont mind what breed of cattle scores the goals as long as they get quick returns. Many farmers have opted for Charolais and Limousin and, like everything else, it is all to do with money.
For the good of Britain and the continued recognition worldwide of our quality products, I would like to see the native breeds such as the Hereford and the Aberdeen-Angus more in the front line of beef production. Their greater prominence would ensure that a quality British product was not diluted.
Jim Braid
Broft House, Bridgend, Perth.
Stick to top British meat
I was appalled to read about Margaret Beckett promoting foreign meat (News, May 31). A friend visited the farm recently and after watching the video Its a cows life and talking to me about the state of farming today, he has made a new rule in his house.
If any foreign meat is bought, it gets chucked out of the window. He has also talked his friend into eating only quality British meat. I think this is brilliant and I wish that everyone would adopt that approach.
Thomas Clapham
Cliffe Farm Cottage, Bank Hey Bottom Lane, Rishworth, Halifax, West Yorks.
Dry cow prep a good treatment
I wish to comment on the article "Dry cow therapys a saver" (Livestock, June 14) which detailed the studies carried out by Dr Andrew Bradley of the University of Bristol and Martin Green of the Orchard Veterinary Group.
The use of a dry cow preparation was shown to significantly reduce the incidence of E coli mastitis in early lactation. As you corrected in the subsequent issue, it was not the lactating cow preparation Cephaguard(r) that was used, but the broad spectrum dry cow product Leo Red(r) Dry Cow which has extended activity against bacteria, such as E coli.
The figures reported are only some of the results of the studies financed by LEO Animal Health and carried out over a five-year period. Those studies not only demonstrated the importance of the dry period in E coli mastitis control but also that persistent infection with E coli can be a significant cause of recurrent clinical mastitis on some farms.
The study described illustrated that using Leo Red Dry Cow reduced the incidence of E coli mastitis by 45% in the first 100 days of the subsequent lactation when compared to a long-acting cloxacillin-based dry cow preparation.
M.A. Cobb
LEO Animal Health, Ironbridge, Telford, Salop.