John Farmer’s criticism of the proposed Lyth Valley Internal Drainage Board is ill-founded (Letters, August 27, ‘Drainage plan has drawbacks).
The productive land in the valley is as a result of hundreds of years of effort by peat-cutters, farmers and landowners. To suggest that switching off the pumps will ‘continue to allow intensive farming’ is quite wrong; much of the land in winter will be water-logged and unfit for grazing.
I quite understand that this is what many environmentalists want; but farmers in the valley are under enough pressure right now, without further problems reducing the value of their holdings.
These same ‘few’ farmers, who farm 6,000 acres, will be contributing around £100,000 annually to the costs of the Board; the steering committee contained representatives of the environmental lobby - the RSPB and Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
It amazes me that John Farmer does not seem to appreciate the contribution farmers make to the eco-systems that he and his fellow travellers so delight in. As the government said recently - we must do all we can to maximise home food production in a world of growing populations.
Trevor Farrer
Witherslack
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