Sowing the seeds of trouble

From the archive, first published Thursday 18th May 2000.

The golden fields of oilseed rape are a sign that summer is well on the way but for many people they signify little more than a nightmare, writes Zahra Borno.

Retired publican George Palmer, of Cockpit Close, Woodstock, says he has started to dread this time of year.

He suffers with severe breathing difficulties whenever the golden crop is in flower and he is forced to take steroid-based drugs to calm his reaction to the oilseed rape grown in the fields near his home.

He says: "I am asthmatic but my chest becomes unbearably tight at this time of year whenever the oilseed rape is out. "I find that if I am anywhere near the fields it aggravates my asthma. I went out in the car one day last week and could smell it in the air. The smell is very pungent. It had an enormous effect on my breathing. I felt as if my lungs were collapsing. I couldn't draw in enough air and I was gasping.

"I have found that the problem has got much worse over the years probably because more is grown nowadays." Oxfordshire GP Dr Sally Hope, based at the Woodstock Health Centre, who treats Mr Palmer, says he is one of thousands of people in the county who suffer with the problem.

Research shows that many people suffer a severe reaction to the oils, rather than the pollen, emitted by the crop. Their reactions include severe breathing difficulties, itching eyes, skin irritations, coughing and headaches.

Oilseed rape produces oils that are low in saturated fatty acids, making them a valuable food product.

The oil and fibre can be used to produce cooking oil or a high protein animal feed and the crop can also be turned into a diesel substitute. The growth in the popularity of oilseed rape as a crop has been mainly driven by agricultural subsidies from the European Union. Politicians believe its growth helps make Europe become more independent in vegetable oil and animal feed production.

But the cost of this industry, in human terms, is beyond measure.

For many people the medical effects of exposure to oilseed rape can be severe.

Often, the oilseed rape has a serious effect even when there is no previous history of allergy.

Last year oilseed rape was grown on 14,387 hectares of Oxfordshire countryside. Millions of pounds have already been channelled into research programmes across Europe looking at the issue.

But Dr Hope wants to see further research projects get to the heart of the matter.

"Usually I see around one patient a day suffering from an asthma-like condition and severe breathing difficulties but when the rape is in bloom that figure rises to at least five or six a surgery. The rise in patients with the condition tails off again once the oilseed rape has been harvested so it seems like more than a coincidence.

"I treat many farmers for the same condition - of course they suffer more than anyone else because they work at such close quarters to the crop. People are spending bucket-loads of money at the chemist buying drugs to calm their symptoms but we need to see a long-term solution to the problem."

Dr Hope says she would like to see the Government introduce tighter regulations to monitor where the crop is grown. She has given her backing to the Green Party's campaign to reduce the harmful effects of oilseed rape.

Green Member of the European Parliament Dr Caroline Lucas wants to see:

**the EU reduce the number of subsidies that cultivators are entitled to

**more medical research into the effects of the crop

**farmers stopped from cultivating oilseed rape next door to residential areas.

This week is National Allergy week, designated to raise awareness about the different allergies that people suffer from.

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