Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:31 pm
The RHS have now issued warnings on
http://www.rhs.org.uk/news/Weedkiller-manure.asp
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles07 ... manure.asp
I have emailed the BBC, ITV and Sky and also another Gardening Magazine.
I have also emailed the manufacturer as follows.
"I am also concerned that no guarantee can be given that we are able to eat any produce that we can actually retrieve form our crops – although at this stage it looks unlikely that many of our crops will succeed in producing any yield other than a few potatoes. Our plot holders are devastated as they see a whole year’s work and not insubstantial amount of money spent to provide their families with fruit and vegetables for the year wasted. Some have treated the whole of their plot with the manure. Some have used manure to mulch fruit bushes and trees that take several years to provide a yield – is fruit affected? If you can’t guarantee that we can eat our produce, then can you guarantee that the milk and meat from livestock grazed on pastureland treated with the herbicide is safe to consume. Also does the herbicide have any effect on bees, butterflies, ladybirds etc that are feeding from affected plants.
One final concern probably the most serious is – it would seem that the only way in which the end user can know whether or not this herbicide has been used at the start of the food chain is if each supplier gives his customer the required information. We only need one break in this link to result in the consequences that we are now faced with. I can see that if we do trace our source – if the farmer has a regular supplier of sileage and/or bedding then we are probably going to be faced with a difficult task of finding out who exactly is to blame. Farmers who contributed to a forum that I have been taking part in didn’t even know that such a chemical existed.
Plot-holders on our site are semi organic. They only use chemical control if it is absolutely unavoidable. Many refuse to use weedkillers on their soil at all. One of the main reasons that they grow their own is to avoid chemical pollution. They considered manure to be a good natural product but are now regretting that they ever bought the stuff. Presumably even when the effects of the contamination has worn off the soil will still hold traces of contaminant. About 20 plots on our site have been affected. We need help urgently and some answers as to what we can do to minimise our problem".
I have also emailed the council officers responsible for allotments and asked that they inform all site secretaries in our area and all allotments officers in the country.
I am getting round to government officials next.
The farmer who supplied the manure has responded to say he was totally unaware that any herbicide lasted so long and that although he produces most of his own herbicide-free sileage he does buy in some from a number of farms. I have asked if he can let us have information of which farms. But it sounds as though we are going to have a devil of a job to track it back.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/news/Weedkiller-manure.asp
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles07 ... manure.asp
I have emailed the BBC, ITV and Sky and also another Gardening Magazine.
I have also emailed the manufacturer as follows.
"I am also concerned that no guarantee can be given that we are able to eat any produce that we can actually retrieve form our crops – although at this stage it looks unlikely that many of our crops will succeed in producing any yield other than a few potatoes. Our plot holders are devastated as they see a whole year’s work and not insubstantial amount of money spent to provide their families with fruit and vegetables for the year wasted. Some have treated the whole of their plot with the manure. Some have used manure to mulch fruit bushes and trees that take several years to provide a yield – is fruit affected? If you can’t guarantee that we can eat our produce, then can you guarantee that the milk and meat from livestock grazed on pastureland treated with the herbicide is safe to consume. Also does the herbicide have any effect on bees, butterflies, ladybirds etc that are feeding from affected plants.
One final concern probably the most serious is – it would seem that the only way in which the end user can know whether or not this herbicide has been used at the start of the food chain is if each supplier gives his customer the required information. We only need one break in this link to result in the consequences that we are now faced with. I can see that if we do trace our source – if the farmer has a regular supplier of sileage and/or bedding then we are probably going to be faced with a difficult task of finding out who exactly is to blame. Farmers who contributed to a forum that I have been taking part in didn’t even know that such a chemical existed.
Plot-holders on our site are semi organic. They only use chemical control if it is absolutely unavoidable. Many refuse to use weedkillers on their soil at all. One of the main reasons that they grow their own is to avoid chemical pollution. They considered manure to be a good natural product but are now regretting that they ever bought the stuff. Presumably even when the effects of the contamination has worn off the soil will still hold traces of contaminant. About 20 plots on our site have been affected. We need help urgently and some answers as to what we can do to minimise our problem".
I have also emailed the council officers responsible for allotments and asked that they inform all site secretaries in our area and all allotments officers in the country.
I am getting round to government officials next.
The farmer who supplied the manure has responded to say he was totally unaware that any herbicide lasted so long and that although he produces most of his own herbicide-free sileage he does buy in some from a number of farms. I have asked if he can let us have information of which farms. But it sounds as though we are going to have a devil of a job to track it back.