So the UK carrot crop is going to be wiped out, according to Martin Evans, Chairman of the British Carrot Growers’ Association quoted in The Observer today. The EU wants to tighten rules on what pesticides can be used on crops, the UK government doesn’t agree, can be outvoted under QMV, and the UK might end up producing no carrots.
But hold on a moment… First of all, why is the UK carrot crop going to be wiped out when – I assume – no other carrot crops in other European countries are going to be hit in the same way as other EU governments are not crying foul? Does the UK have a climate or soil or bugs that are especially inappropriate for carrots, and hence UK farmers have to apply more pesticides than anyone else?
Secondly – as I suspect – carrot growing conditions are probably not that different in Ireland, northern France, Germany, Belgium, the southern parts of Scandinavia, and perhaps Poland and Czech Republic. So if the UK carrot growers had been on the phone to their counterparts, and had lobbied effectively, and – indeed – DEFRA had got its act together, the UK growers would probably not be in this pickle.
But of course the whole thing could be complete rubbish as The Observer did not try to get the other side of the argument, with a bland sentence mentioning that anti-pesticide protestors were content with the proposed new rules.
So when you hear some rubbish about the mendacious EU trying to wipe out the British carrot chew on it with a healthy pinch of salt.
And not likely to. Does not appear to have been updated for some considerable time.
The answer to this issue is simple – go organic, or at least partly, there are alternatives to the pesticides being banned.
More carroty stuff in the World Carrot Museum. http://www.carrotmuseum.com
Presumably a healthy pinch of salt is a small one? 🙂
Depressing but not surprising that so many groups still haven’t figured out that lobbying is an essential part of the democratic process in London as much as in Brussels.
Despite being all over the UK press since the Guardian’s scoop (or is it spade for carrots?) this story hasn’t so far made the British Carrot Growers Association’s website: http://www.britishcarrots.co.uk/
But their carrot cake recipe looks good.
Like they aren’t wiping out the incandescent light bulb?
An impact study from agricultural consultants ADAS warns that the production of potatoes, leafy vegetables and wheat could fall by at least 53 per cent if the Parliament proposals were successful.
The British Crop Protection Council warn prices of key commodities could triple as a result of the Parliament amendments.
So it’s a case of does anyone wish to pay over double the current price for future vegetables for the price of no significant (if any) benefit.
When did the Observer start running Daily Mail stories? Has there been a takover? I think we should be told.