Memorandum submitted by Mr Andrew Symonds
(O23)
As one of the UK's 7,000 sugar beet growers
I write to express my grave concerns regarding the possible outcome
of the European Sugar Sector reforms. My family has farmed for
many generations and grown sugar beet since the 1930s and the
crop has become the cornerstone of our farming business. We have
invested heavily in machinery over the years and the beet growing
on our farm directly affects the employment of at least six people
and many more indirectly. Any decision taken by Government that
will ultimately lead to the destruction of the UK sugar industry
would put the future of my farming business, and many thousands
like it, in jeopardy. Jobs will be lost in both agriculture and
industry and the consumer and environment will also be adversely
affected.
My points are as follows:
1. Common Sense dictates that in the current
world market place maintaining the status quo is not an option.
I support reform of the sugar regime, providing however that it
leads to a stable market in which all producers, including ACP
and LDC suppliers, can compete on a sustainable basis. This, I
believe can only be achieved by the implementation of the first
of the three EU Commission Policy Options. Although this would
involve simplification of the current arrangements as well as
some reduction in quota and price, it is the only Option that
I believe will enable me to continue to grow sugar beet here at
Lincomb Farm on a profitable basis.
2. Our whole farming business revolves around
our sugar beet enterprise. It has remained the most important
crop on the farm since we began to grow it in the late 1930s.
We have also expanded our sugar beet enterprise with the purchase
of a neighbouring farmer's beet quota two years ago, and have
as a result invested in new machinery to maximise our output and
efficiency. We have also taken on contract harvesting and drilling
operations for other growers.
3. I have a contract to produce 3,500 tonnes
of sugar beet for British Sugar annually. The implementation of
either Option 2 or 3 will mean that the UK sugar industry could
not be able to compete in the market place and I, along with the
thousands of other UK sugar beet growers would no longer be able
to grow my sugar beet crop economically.
4. Jeopardising our sugar beet production
would directly affect the employment of at least six people. Multiply
this by the number of growers and many thousands of jobs throughout
the industry would be lost. Many local transport companies are
only able to sustain their operations through the delivery of
beet to British Sugar and they in turn have huge investment in
their lorries and trailers.
5. If I was no longer able to grow beet
profitably then I could of course look at alternative crops. We
could increase our area of wheat and barley but additional potato
area is restricted by rotational pressure and crop storage after
harvest. Bearing in mind the new CAP reforms and the move to the
decoupling of subsidy and production with the introduction of
the Single Farm Payment, the market could not sustain the huge
increase in cereal and other crop area likely to result with UK
beet growers switching to other crops. It would simply become
uneconomic for me to grow additional cereal area and rotational
pressures would severely limit other forms of cropping.
6. My current labour force would become
redundant on a full time basis and much of my machinery would
effectively become scrap, as there would be no market to sell
it to, even in Europe!
7. The sugar beet crop on my farm has significant
environmental benefits, particularly for birds and wild animals,
more so than other cropping. There is no doubt that the diversity
of wildlife is greatly enhanced because of the sugar beet grown
here.
8. The UK Sugar Industry provides the consumer
with a product that is assured of safety and quality and also
full traceability.
The EU's final decision will directly affect
7,000 farmers in England as well as 20,000 jobs throughout the
UK's economy. The UK beet industry remains one of the most efficient
in Europe and is unique in that our sugar production is in balance
between supply and demand. I would urge Government to influence
and implement any policy that will serve to protect the UK sugar
industry and help to safeguard the future of thousands of UK farming
businesses.
25 March 2004
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