Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Hi Francis!

As no members have unsubscribed I think they're all still there and doubtless reading the posts if not commenting on them!

Of course it may be that as we seem to be enjoying a pretty good summer as far as the weather is concerned, Bill et al. may be very busy in their gardens! I know I should be!

At the same time there is still a great deal to be concerned about as far as agriculture in the UK is concerned and I don't think our members are apathetic even if we all get a little tired at times! None of us have missed the fact DEFRA and the Govt in general have so far failed to mend their ways as regards honesty and information is concerned!

The on-farm burial ban being just one recent example. Their proposal to set up a disposal scheme if farmers paid an annual fee according to acreage and if enough farmers were prepared to join has suddenly been withdrawn. The reason they give being lack of support from farmers. Very convenient for them as they/the tax-payer now won't have to foot the bill but quite unreasonable in truth, as they failed in so many instances to let farmers know the proposal existed and actively solicit their support.

We have all experienced how abysmal are the communication skills of this department and they have not noticeably improved despite many polite entreaties to do so!

Much as we would like to believe their intentions are good and the promises made will be adhered to, we see little or no evidence of it.

I know its boring, but we all remember the Govt's refusal to hold an open public inquiry into FMD. Their alternative being to set up their own Inquiries which they said would report more quickly than a public one and they promised to act on their recommendations. The Inquiries were quick and the recommendations delivered but for the most part we're still waiting for the action!

It is interesting to note that they were quick to amend the Animal Health Act with draconian legislation giving the Minister rights to slaughter and removing the right of farmers to challenge the decision through the Courts. A measure entirely of their own making and not recommended by any of their Inquiries.

The Govt's recent experience in Afghanistan when they offered to pay farmers handsomely not to grow opium has backfired on them. The farmers, not surprisingly, took advanage of the scheme and claimed for greater acreages than they grew! Of course when our Governement dropped the price per acre it caused all sorts of jealousies and trouble in the area and our Govt has bacome a laughing stock. Further evidence that they fail to learn from their mistakes! Remember the high prices paid for livestock during FMD and the trouble it caused when the prices dropped?

It would all be amusing if it weren't so tragic.

The democratic Government we all believed in, exported to various parts of the world and took such pride in, is dying before our eyes. It is evolving into dictatorship and dissenting voices are being silenced and eliminated.

The British Government has gone into partnership with the Europe & the US and if it suits them ignors the wishes of the population, their own enquiries and the United Nations. It is obvious they believe they're right and acting in the best interests of the country. Some may say they are, the world order is changing, government has always evolved and we should go along with it and accept the changes. Only time will prove them right or wrong but....

Rules and Laws have to 'work' to be obeyed. If they are proved to be a nonsense they may not be removed from the statutes but they will certainly be ignored!

It is still British law that 'a man may beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb' but the laws against GBH tend to curtail this legality!

If no alternative to on farm burial is provided by the State and the personal costs for legal disposal prove too hard to bear, I can see the legislation being ignored in future. Of course there may be heavy fines and even imprisonment for a few who defy the law initially, but the end result will either be a State funded disposal system or acceptance that the law doesn't 'work' and on farm burial will survive and continue to be the efficient disposal sytem it has been for many years.

Only time will tell and as usual – I could be wrong!

Have a good day!

Jane – Farmtalking