-Caveat Lector- >From http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml? xml=/news/2002/10/23/nfarm23.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/10/23/ixnewstop.html
£65bn food industry 'on brink of collapse' By Robert Uhlig, Farming Correspondent (Filed: 23/10/2002) Britain's food industry, which employs 500,000 people, is on the brink of collapse, a survey of farm incomes said yesterday. The study of 1,000 of the most successful farms found that it no longer made economic sense for farmers to produce food. Deloitte and Touche's report, the largest of its kind, predicted that farmers would lose £8 an acre on food production this year, with no likelihood of recovery in the foreseeable future. It said the Government was partly to blame for imposing too many regulations. Mark Hill, who heads the company's farm and agriculture department, said: "Organic egg farming is very profitable and, under EU law, no more than 12 chickens are allowed per square metre. "But the Government, in its wisdom, wants to gold plate that and is insisting on just six birds per square metre. With one piece of legislation, it is sending our very successful organic egg industry offshore." More and more food is being imported, helping to create a £20 billion trade deficit in an industry that generates £65.7 billion a year. Grampian, a supplier of fresh chicken and nuggets to all British supermarkets, has closed a factory in Scotland and opened two in Thailand, where chicken and labour costs are much lower. McCain is producing its oven chips in Poland, partly because potatoes there are cheaper but also because many British potato growers have switched to less high-risk crops such as sugar beet. Mr Hill said: "If significant numbers [of farmers] give up, food processors and agricultural suppliers will lose critical mass and their businesses will collapse." Even the Government's environmental schemes, seen as a lifeline, did not make economic sense, the report said. It found that environmental support was worth little more than £2 an acre. He said that only big, highly capitalised farms were likely to survive - the opposite of the Government's desire for small environmentally friendly family farms. "We want a statement of long-term support from the Government. Then farmers will have the confidence to invest. Without it, there is no future for farming." Mr Hill said that, bleak as the survey was, it was probably too optimistic. It had not included Highland and livestock farmers, partly because they could not afford the company's services. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A<>E<>R + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Forwarded as information only; I don't believe everything I read or send (but that doesn't stop me from considering it; obviously SOMEBODY thinks it's important) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." --- Ernest Hemingway <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
