UK FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

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Does anyone know anything about the UK Food Supply Chain, i.e. Ministry of Agriculture.

I have read that in the US, grocery stores only have 72 hours supply of food at any given time, and that the country as a whole has only 3 months supply.

I have been able to read and digest plenty of information pertaining to the US food supply situation. It looks pretty grim for a lot of Americans living in and around cities. The problems of transporting (should the rail or trucking industry suffer)any food that farmers could produce seems insurmountable due to the distances involved.

I am trying to assess the situation in the UK. My husband's parents live on a small farm in the north of England. They have lived there for 50+ years and know every other farmer around. They have been retired for the past few years so the farm is non-working now. There is a well that has not been in use for years. However, we have ascertained from them that it won't take much to put in a hand pump that they have. I have purchased a Brekensefeld water filter to filter the water. We plan to have the water tested. They also have their own septic tank. When they first bought and moved to the farm they lived without electricity and running water for a while. They have lived through the rationing and hardships that WWII brought. They, therefore, have valuable know how and resources that we don't have. They, however, don't have the strength and stamina that might be needed if everything does go belly up. We really need to be there.

Our thinking is that it might not be too bad where they are. Of course, panic, rioting, and looting shall happen but not on such a wide scale as where we are now. We are thinking that it might be easier for ourselves and surrounding farmers to pick ourselves up and get on with what needs to be done to survive and help surrounding villagers in the process. The distances are not as great as in the US to outreach with grown produce to outlying villages, towns, and cities. Also, there are farms scattered throughout Britain unlike in the US.

The problem that we have is that we're not sure how seriously they are taking this situation. I don't suppose for one moment that at their time in life they want to contend with a problem of this magnitude. Also, being relatively simple people (and I mean that in the nicest way possible) living a realtively simple life I don't think they are really aware of just how much the interconnectivity, and interdependency of technology has slowly crept into their lives. As I said the farm is non-working at present. To get us through we shall need some sort of preparations and provisions.

We have made the decision to try and be there for the big event. We had actually planned to be there to celebrate the millennium anyway!! We have also started making preparations for a 3 month supply of food and water at this end should we be unable to get over there. We don't know if things will stay stable enough until the middle of December when we intend to fly. It is a difficult situation to deal with because life still has to proceed as usual. Because of the unknown factor you sort of have to contend with the fact that things might go belly up or things might go without a glitch or snow-storm at worst. So my husbnd plans to take leave at the end of the year into January and be in the UK and see what transpires.

I have started to outreach to our neighbors and get a dialogue going. We had a recent ice-storm that also helped bring this about.

Anyhow I am in the process of putting together any official documentation that I can find relating to the problem to send to my husband's parents to try and draw their attention to the seriousness of the situation.

This brings me back to my original question I am trying to food out anything relating to the food supply chain in the UK.

Any thoughts on what I have written would be welcomed.

-- Carol (usa-uk@email.msn/com), January 24, 1999

Answers

Thanks for the info. carol- hope it works out on the farm.

I'm in the USA but considering returning to the UK in late '99. There are very few if any y2k sites with a UK viewpoint. Hard to find facts.

All I know is that the UK is a net importer of food. You won't have a problem with water either as you get enough rain :)

Good luck,

Andy

Two digits. One mechanism. The smallest mistake.

"The conveniences and comforts of humanity in general will be linked up by one mechanism, which will produce comforts and conveniences beyond human imagination. But the smallest mistake will bring the whole mechanism to a certain collapse. In this way the end of the world will be brought about."

Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, 1922 (Sufi Prophet)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 27, 1999.


Thank you for your input Andy.

I can pull up tons of official US documentation indicating the seriousness of this thing. However, still having difficulty finding official UK sources.

I did manage to find some interesting stuff yesterday. I came upon the 'Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency' through the Millennium Bomb site:

http://tap.ccta.gov.uk/Year20.../1.+Quarters?OpenView&Start=23&Count=3 0&Expand=2

They list the compliancy status of all British Government departments and agencies.

We found the MOD one interesting. Initial cost to become compliant estimated at L200,000,000 baseline target was originally scheduled for January, 1999, has now been pushed to December, 1999, and so far spent L11,000,000. Total cost estimated to remain the same. They started working on compliancy 4th quarter of 1997 and to date have only spent L11,000,000. That doesn't look promising....

The more you get into this thing the worse it gets.

We've now got the Russians reaching out to the US for help with their missiles. That has to be a sure sign of deep trouble. Also, the North Koreans are concerned about South Korea, and their reaching out to Russia - who is reaching out to the US. The US Defence Department has their own problems with compliancy. Just looks like a right old mess.

I look at our two young children and wonder what is in store for them.

I hope you make it back to the UK Later in the year if thats what you want.

Thanks again for your reply.

-- Carol (usa-uk@email.msn.com), January 27, 1999.


Thanks for the update. Yep I think I'll go back late '99, my Mum's getting on a bit too *80), just gone blind in one eye, she could use my help when the lights go out!

Thinking about it, maybe I could use her help! - she used to grow all her own veggies and bakes great bread and scones!!!

Later, Andy

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 27, 1999.


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