Monty Don, celebrity gardener and outspoken critic of the soft-fruit industry, has backed out of an agreement with FPJ to answer a series of questions from producers.
The presenter of Gardeners’ World, who was forced into a humiliating apology after complaints from the sector about comments in The Daily Mail last year, had agreed to answer a number of questions from the industry.
Don has been an outspoken critic of the soft-fruit sector for some time, and in recent years has stepped up his criticism of the sector, particularly its use of polytunnels. Back in 2004, Don was forced to print a correction in The Daily Mail following pressure from the Press Complaints Commission.
British Summer Fruits complained about comments the gardener had made regarding the use of pesticides on strawberries. He was also widely quoted in the national press following the ruling against the Hall Hunter Partnership.
FPJ collated the questions and sent them to Don, via his agent. However, despite being told he was “happy” to answer any questions, upon receiving them, the presenter appeared to suffer a change of heart and we were informed that he was now too busy to answer.
A representative said: “I’m afraid that Monty is now on holiday in advance of starting filming for Gardeners’ World, and he has such a busy schedule on his return that he won’t be able to fit this in.”
Below are your questions, which Don will not answer:
• How do you justify using tunnels in your own garden to protect your fruit and vegetables, while claiming the industry should not be allowed to do it on a commercial scale?
• One of the key reasons for using polytunnels is to reduce chemical usage. It also allows us to use biological and more natural methods of pest and disease control more effectively. Is that a bad thing?
• Do you think we should be importing more strawberries into the country? Prior to the use of tunnels we imported 60 per cent of fruit during our own season, now we are largely self sufficient.
• Consumption of strawberries has risen by 15 per cent compound for the last 10 years. Would that have happened if the fruit is as tasteless as you make out?
• If we were to lose the use of tunnels for soft-fruit production, we would lose competitive advantage in the very tough commercial marketplace. We have no price support system or state production subsidy to fall back on and would very quickly lose our market to imports from the Continent. Would you like to explain to 45,000 people why they have lost their jobs?
• Are your views not based on the worst kind of NIMBYism with little regard for growers or their staff, or consumers?
• The area covered by soft-fruit production in the UK is small, less than 0.01 per cent, and probably only 30 per cent of that covered at any one time, doesn’t that make your objection to polytunnels disproportionate?
• Why do you continue to whip up hysteria by making statements that soft fruit is dripping in chemicals when the methods of testing by customers are becoming more sophisticated and quite the opposite is the case?
• Why should the British farmer be denied the latest equipment and technology while every other industry is adopting new methods to deliver what the customer wants?
• It was noted that your gardening programme last year covering the opening of the Spring Malvern Garden show and that many of the exhibitors were praising their polytunnels. That enabled them to achieve blooms for their exhibits which they would not have been able to in such a cold spring. Do you not see a contradiction?
• If you think we should not buy or consume produce grown under polytunnels then you are, in effect, suggesting we import from abroad. How can this be better for the environment? Or for the livelihood of the countryside?
• Do you realise that it is not just berries that are grown under polytunnels?
• Why do you continue to write inaccurate stories on our industry even though the PCC upheld a complaint against you?
• If strawberries are to be retailed at approximately £1.70 for a 454g punnet how would you produce them and leave yourself with a profit?
• Has conventional farming got a future or do you think it will all be organic in 10 years time?
• Do you think the number of British growers will be more or less in 10 years time? Why?
• Assuming the reason the average UK resident wishes to live in a house with a roof why should a plant be otherwise?
• How would you suggest your two-acre experience can be translated to a commercial enterprise?
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