In response to Bill Quan, Chair of Herefordshire’s NFU who mentions (Hereford Times, February 9, Farmers are now being squeezed on all fronts) the River Wye pollution and cautions the silver bullet isn't a reduction in poultry. I learn Avara is the county's biggest employer and "farmers are now being squeezed on all fronts".

However, a reduction in poultry saved the River Illinois. Many years ago Avara, amongst others, over-produced poultry along this tributary of the Mississippi. Avara always knew, even before it came here, that the River Wye would die (some think it's a couple of years away).

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How is it sustainable just to set aside land to absorb phosphates. Heavy rain will just wash chicken muck, dumps of it in fields, in to the water courses of the river Wye. Eighty percent of the problem is phosphates from cheap chicken, mostly from Tesco.

Instead, yes to peas and beans, once widely grown. Another "U boat" threat will reveal our folly of soy feed from the de-forested Amazon?

Jonathan Mark Roger

Hereford

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