THOSE in our community who are campaigning for the limitation of poly- tunnels should think very seriously of the alternative before going any further.

I for one have no wish to look out over acres of derelict farmland and if fruit farmers are forced out of business, that is the probable scenario.

From earliest times, farmers have been dedicated custodians of our countryside and we have all benefited from that care. Are the complainants prepared to forsake their tidy gardens in order to keep miles of hedges trimmed and ditches cleared?

If, as so pitifully common in our whinging society, they wish to apportion blame, they should look at the market forces which have led to the current proliferation of poly-tunnels.

Fruit farmers are driven by commercial pressures. Supermarkets demand cheap, high-quality fruit for the longest possible season. If our growers cannot comply, then the fruit will be imported from our EU competitors.

Consider what happened to our dairy farmers: how many of them are left in the county compared with 20 years ago? How many herds of dairy cows can you spot when travelling between Ledbury and Hereford? A precious element of our pastoral economy has vanished because of the availability of cheap milk from abroad. I would be happy to pay the farmer a fair price for his milk and I am certain most of your readers would too, in order to maintain a viable rural industry.

The legacy of the set-aside scheme was acres of pernicious weeds such as docks and thistles. Be warned, force our fruit growers out of business and that is what will ensue.

MRS M E WINFIELD, Worcester Road, Ledbury.