The Slog’s Defra post of earlier today produced a response of unprecedented quality.
The earlier Slogpost about our need to import megatons of wheat has produced a massive email inbox, and I thank all those who wrote in with, on the whole, exceptionally well-informed views. Also for all those who threaded so constructively at the site. Some of the emailed stuff contains sound questions and solid data I think should be circulated more widely.
This from Frances Channon: “Where are these tons of wheat coming from and could it be GM frankenwheat? Caveat emptor! Defra and the weather forecasters are merely players. Thinking back to Michael Fish and the hurricane, you can’t trust forecasts…..[and] beware the Del Monte pink pineapples – GM approved for human consumption.”
And from David Bodsworth: “Your comment about the short fall in food wheat is only one part. Here in Wales the price of supplement feed for the grazing cattle and sheep has gone up by 10 to 20 % this year, but the price for slaughter is at last years price for cattle or dropping for sheep. The general view in mid Wales is that farms are going to reduce their stock levels to reduce the out going costs and try to rely on the fields of grass for summer grazing and winter silage. One of our local feed mills is laying off 2 staff from a total of 8 so the knock on effect in this small local community is only just starting to be felt.
The Earth has switched into a Global Cooling mode which will have major impacts on food production and population. Look at Piers Corbyn on the Global Cooling debate. He understands the effects on Earth from the sun and the sun is going into cool mode, see sunspot cycles. For impact on food production look up presentations given by David Archibald in Australia.”
The Slog 