At last a report which talks sense

A new report out now says that the UK agriculture industry is unsustainable, dysfunctional and that the CAP policy needs an early review.

WE KNOW!

Why didn't they listen to us before we got into this mess. We've been saying this for years now. The government, of course, will blame the industry for the problems. Considering the recent F&M outbreak fiasco and the lack of government enquiry into the facts just shows how eager they are to bother with agriculture and have spent a lot of energy blaming the industry for the outbreak. OK so why no enquiry almost 12 months after the initial breakout?Petitions have been signed and delivered and the MEP's have been debating an enquiry, one side are holding back saying that it's just a ploy to show up the current government. (MEP's, our representatives in the EU, aren't even elected by the public, which really gets my goat) The EU have now told the UK government that it will have to co-operate should it decide hold an enquiry ... Hurrah some sense from Brussels (its something to remark upon!;)).

While the food industy and agriculture are kept apart by the CAP we will never have a chance at reducing inefficiency and get rid of the substandard farmers within the industry. We are too far away from our market and customers. Subsides have taken away the competetiveness required to drive the industry forward and has held us back from making new innovations.

Public education on food production needs to be implemented, farm gates need to be opened to allow this. Processors need to look at their buying policies and loose their stranglehold grip on a dying industry.

The report is not however, suggesting we remove subsidies but reuse them for a more environmentally friendly ag industry. Watch this space...

This message was edited Tuesday, Jan 29th 2:00 PM