PERHAPS Joyce Pickard is a rich hypocrite (Letters, September 2) but that is no reason to berate the farmers of this country who have kept us all well fed through their hard work and dedication for little reward.

Is she aware that 70,000 farming jobs have been lost in this country since this Labour Government came into power in 1997?

She mentions the "large amount of subsidies paid to farmers of £30 million". This is a miniscule sum compared to the billions of taxpayers' money poured into education, National Health Service, national and local government.

Does she care that there are houses in the countryside, not far from York, which are still not connected to mains sewerage? How third world is this?

Are we a rich country? Rich in debt certainly. According to the International Monetary Fund we are only the 19th richest nation - way behind India, where many of our jobs are being transferred.

Perhaps Joyce Pickard will be satisfied when the people of this country are starving as happened in Russia where millions died of starvation under Stalin and where people are starving still under the Communist regimes in North Korea and Zimbabwe. Is that our fault too?

Mary Carlton,

George Street,

Pocklington.

Updated: 08:42 Saturday, September 13, 2003