MRS DOWN'S DIARY

JOHN has just received his wool cheque. This was payment for shearing the flock in June. Nearly 120 sheep, two days' work (he did it alone) and as he says, a week to recover, as the shearing takes an increasingly drastic toll on an increasingly ageing farmer. The massive payout? £37.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Jul 2007, 13:17 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:27 BST

No wonder there are not many takers. And he had to take the wool sacks in himself. Probably cost as much as that in diesel.

We have heard excuses that the price of wool was hit by the closure of the Chinese wool market.

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An anthrax outbreak in Wales meant that UK "greasy wool" did not meet export requirements over animal health. The ban was lifted earlier in the year and China is crying out for our wool, but still the price stays rock bottom.

At least he received some money. We are still waiting for some of our 2005 and 2006 Single Farm Payment. They have acknowledged they made a mistake, a computer glitch apparently, but cannot say exactly where. So until then, we wait.

To ease his frustration I am afraid one of the Aylesbury ducks has paid the ultimate price. A bit of intense plucking always does John's soul good. He can imagine he is wringing the neck of some hapless DEFRA employee.

And whilst we are on about DEFRA...

Whatever happened to Margaret Beckett? A stunning case of mismanagement as the Environment Minister, rise in fame as the Foreign Minister, hardly a sight or sound from her all the time she was in that job and now obscurity.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette July 25

Related topics:WalesChinaDEFRA