Anyone see Lie of the Land

Subject: Anyone see Lie of the Land
From: puck
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 03:33 PM

Contrary to popular myth, British farmers are in the shit in more ways than one. I wondered if anyone has watched 'The Lie Of The Land' on MORE4 channel on Sky 10pm last night [MONDAY]. Very disturbing stuff! If farmers go out of business, what would our countryside be like without cattle, sheep and the husbandry of farmers. We are paying subsidies to farmers for 'set-aside' and then importing beef and milk which we should [and could] be producing ourselves. Having to shoot young healthy calves on the farms all over Britain because they have no economic value.
I wondered if Tony Blair watched it and if so how much parliamentary debating time should he have allocated to the desperate plight British farmers find themselves in as a result of EU and Parliamentary legislative interference. Bear in mind that an enormous time was spent on the foxhunting fiasco ... I beleive they said 600 hours!!
The programme is worth a watch if it is repeated.

Pee

Subject: RE: Anyone see Lie of the Land
From: gnomad
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 04:42 PM

Didn't see the programme, but I must admit to a degree of disquiet at the strategic shortsightedness we show in allowing the country to become utterly incapable of feeding itself. We live in [relative] peace for the moment, and long may it remain so, but we really should be more prepared for other possibilities.

That is quite beside the thought that the countryside that many of us value so highly is actually a food factory developed over centuries, which can be destroyed by just a few years neglect.

Subject: RE: Anyone see Lie of the Land
From: pattyClink
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 07:43 PM

oh, don't worry, the farms won't go away, they'll be snapped up by agribusiness once the pesky little people are gone.

Subject: RE: Anyone see Lie of the Land
From: GUEST,puck
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 11:26 PM

YES pc, or even worse a playground for the urban rich!!!

Subject: RE: Anyone see Lie of the Land
From: Geordie-Peorgie
Date: 20 Jun 07 - 01:14 PM

Shouldn't that be 'the urbane rich'?