Sir, I do hope that NFUS and other organisations are taking to task those meat processors and supermarket chains that have been found with horse meat in their beef burgers.
Whilst I personally see no issue with eating horse meat, I have spoken to several horse owners who will never eat any kind of burger again.
I also see several posts on Facebook saying the same with, indeed, some people vowing to never eat meat in any form again. More damage to the British meat industry and agriculture in general, inflicted by the bully boy supermarkets and at a time when the industry needs all the help it can get after the arduous weather etc, over the last 12 months.
As a farmer I jump through hoops, have people tell me how to run my business, at my cost I may add.
I then have stringent controls and standards to meet as a feed merchant and again jump through hoops at my cost as does the haulier who hauls from farm to farm, or feed mill to farm. All of these schemes are a huge cost and burden to the industry.
I can accept that these schemes and practices are required in order that we provide the consumer with a safe and healthy product, but I do find it most annoying and frankly disgusting that after all this regulation we are so badly let down by the next people in the food chain.
Quality meat leaves British farms and should appear in the supermarket the same with no more than seasoning being added between farm and plate.
Once again the supermarkets have the least risk, yet take the biggest profits out of a carcase and do the most damage to the meat industry.
Alistair Hodnett. Managing Director, Hodnett’s Scotland Ltd, Balmydown Farm, Dundee.
Balmossie a victim of its own success?
Sir, I am sorry to see the spectre of closure being raised once more in respect of Balmossie Fire Station (January 16)
The local community, politicians and fire brigade union have vigorously opposed all such attempts previously and it would serve those who continually raise this issue to bear the wishes of the community in mind.
It seems to me that there should be no issue with the amount of fires actually attended by Balmossie’s engines, as this is actually testimony to the magnificent safety work this station carries out throughout the Broughty Ferry area and beyond.
It would surely be a sad irony if, in becoming a victim of its own success, its closure left Broughty Ferry less well protected.
I would also caution those who insist that Balmossie is the “quietest” station in the Fire Board’s area.
Should Balmossie close, does it then follow that another station will, by definition, become the quietest and it should then face the axe accordingly?
Councillor Kevin Cordell. The Ferry Ward, City Chambers, Dundee.
Quote was inaccurate
Sir, Mr Cross (January 11), wrote: “the Met Office has reluctantly had to admit that global warming has stalled”.
The Met Office actually said: “the forecast of continued global warming is largely driven by increasing levels of greenhouse gases”.
Some newspapers recently made claims similar to Mr Cross’s about the Met Office.
This prompted the Met Office to issue two more statements emphasising that their stance has not changed. The scientific consensus remains that man-made global warming is a reality.
I struggle to see why we should believe the sceptics’ views on climate science when they cannot even report the Met Office accurately.
James Christie. 2 Dryburgh Crescent, Perth.
Farm hazard on roads
Sir, As an ordinary citizen and motorist, if I were to deposit vast quantities of hazardous material over the public roads, making them extremely slippery and dangerous to other road users, I would expect, quite rightly, to feel the strong arm of the law.
Why, then, are farmers allowed to get away with depositing vast quantities of extremely hazardous and very slippery mud and field chemicals on the roads, all over the country in general, without being responsible for clearing up after them?
The traffic police are forever preaching the road safety messages and implementing safety initiatives when activities that can, and have contributed to road accidents in the past go unchecked and unpunished. Instead of scoring easy hits on motorists who drift over the speed limit, why not pursue these instigators of real road hazards?
The new Scottish Police “Supremo” stated he is going to concentrate on pursuing speeding motorists on the same day it was reported that one million pounds’ worth of cars have been stolen in the Aberdeen area over the past month.
If the pursuance and hounding of motorists is an example of where policing priorities are heading under this brave new organisation, when all around, far more obvious examples of blatant law-breaking are allowed to pass unchecked, we might as well all sell our cars off.
Peter Toms. Liff Park, Liff, by Dundee.