New trend in E.C. farming

Press, 1 December 1988, Page 14

New trend in E.C. farming

PA Wellington Mounting public opinion in Europe against intensive, high production farming could lead to a cut in agricultural surpluses, said Federated Farmers’ president, Mr Brian Chamberlin. Mr Chamberlin has just returned from a visit to European capitals, where he had talks with agricultural producers and officals, ahead of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade meeting in Montreal next week. He said he had noted public opinion was turning against high input, high output farming, which made a lot of use of chemicals, fertilisers and

special feed to force high production. That had resulted in enriched waterways and, in some cases, poisoned rivers and streams. “The environmental questions are being much more vigorously debated than they were previously,” Mr Chamberlin said. Some European countries were taxing farmers for applying fertiliser or limited the amount of effluent which could be applied and fined farmers who exceeded the limit. “So that is forcing quite a change,” he said. "Green Party” members were also gaining increased representation in European parliaments.