GRANT Burton is right (August 19) - we are taking food for granted.

There is no way we can be sure of secure supplies. We have run down home-produced food production by importing the cheapest. Farming, especially pig farming, has reached a critical level from which it will be difficult to recover.

Pig farmers have been hit again by imports. One large supermarket apparently told its processor: "We don't care where it comes from as long as it is cheap". Also, much more food is labelled "British" despite the fact that British pig output has halved in five years.

A surplus of food is sensible and should be viewed as a strategic reserve. Everyone must eat every day.

FR Henley,

Green Farm,

Seaton Ross, York.

Updated: 10:42 Thursday, August 21, 2003