LAST time I recalled my experiences at the time of the Chernobyl crisis in 1986. Hence my surprise when I was speaking with a farmer last week that they are still testing lambs for radiation in Snowdonia.
It seems incredible that so much radioactive material could have dropped in such a small area on a day when it is highly doubtful that it rained at all.
Whilst it has always been my contention that the real source of radiation must have been a localised source in Snowdonia as it is most unlikely that any radiation was deposited as a consequence of the accident at Chernobyl.
It is most questionable as to why such high rates of radiation affect only sheep. In more normal cases of radiation it affects all animals and people in a similar manner.
For me 1986 was the end of my young farmer days and I thought that I was set fair for an established and perhaps profitable career in farming.
Particularly as I had a young son who was just starting school, you might have thought this was a good grounding for a successful family farm.
The reality was to prove most different. We had not heard of Tony Blair in those days and supermarkets were a realm of the imagination. However, the Chernobyl incident was to give me the warning that the “intelligentsia” can sometimes be somewhat economical with the truth.
Up to this time there had been a mutual confidence between government and the farming industry and farming leaders even talked about maximising food production from our own resources.
But then we had a succession of food scares, such as BSE and what can only be described as the great foot-and-mouth shambles.
When BSE started emerging on the horizon, we were told that restrictions on the sale of British beef was made on the “basis of the best of available scientific evidence”.
A more accurate statement would have stated that they wished to devalue British beef in the eyes of consumers so that prices would fall and this would benefit the battle against inflation.
The introduction of the 30-month rule was probably the most cynical abuse of political power that has ever taken place in this country.
I have never seen any scientific evidence that justifies this most stupid restriction ever created.
Cynical: The 30-month rule for cattle was just price-fixing masquerading as a disease control measure
After that came foot-and-mouth, by which time Tony Blair was in full control. Whereas he might often call it spin, it rarely had much to do with the truth, but this was his political career.
But by this time my farming fortunes were charging fully backwards and my son had seen the sight of a better life elsewhere than farming in this country.
The result was that 20 years after Chernobyl I was no longer a full time farmer.
It would be wrong to think that Chernobyl had much influence on my ultimate farming financial performance, but it certainly did change my attitude.
There was no longer that mutual trust and confidence with government officials and it unfortunately introduced an era where politicians and bureaucrats were to use often bogus science to affect the price of farm products.
However, we should not forget the balmy start to this year (2007), and with no recorded rainfall in April and now the first week of May, it may easily have gone down as the worst financial year of my lifetime.
The concern this year would be the very poor spring growth of crops so early in the year. For now any government and bureaucratic rules and regulations would have to take second place until such time as it rains.
