Neglected farmers

sir – The Great Storm of 1987 destroyed glasshouses across southern Britain (notably in the Channel Islands) as well as in the Netherlands.

Following the disaster, British growers were essentially told: “Bad luck.” Dutch growers, meanwhile, asked for, and received, cheap loans to rebuild – and, more specifically, construct several million moulded plastic containers in which to transport cut flowers.

As well as adverse pressures from supermarket chains, the lack of government support for British agriculture is another reason why we now import more produce (Letters, February 28).

Hamish Mccracken

Newbury, Berkshire