European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday May 10. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 3 German asparagus not contaminated hard hit growers say Pete by Lynda w. S a Gale Sam worker inspects newly Hines led Sparge before it is packed. B stuff writer crisis Minim Germany representatives of major asparagus Market say none of their Sparge is contaminated with radiation from the soviet nuclear pistil disaster but sales Are soil Down in ii Start of he vegetable s two month sen son. Richard Lac Ricl director of Centra fruits and vegetables or grips him said Friday radiation experts test lit asparagus daily but have found absolutely no increase in the natural radiation the Large while asparagus which is in season from april 29 until the end of june in Germany is a popular dish in the re Gion and can Cost 25 Marks 111.40 Tor a meal of just asparagus and potatoes. If we had found any radiation in the asparagus it would have meant ruin Tor the Region he said. We still have to contend with the consumer s uncertainly about contamination. Asparagus has to be sold within two or three Days after it s Cut and retail sales arc nor up to usual Levels and even the prices have dipped in some areas.". The asparagus is grown underground which helps to protect it and absorbs Al most nothing from the sail her bal said. To illustrate what a Good filter Earth can be the experts said the Farmers who arc now blowing under their lettuce and other Leafy vegetable crops won t have to worry about the next Harvest being contaminated Hurbel said. The Griesheim Market turns Over More than 1,200 tuns of asparagus during the Sli Orl season. That represent.1 10 million Marks about m.5 million Worth of bus new ller Elsaid. At the Sturl of the Seii Tun asparagus usually costs Abdul .7.50 m irks 5j.42 a Pound he said. A manager at 3 local supermarket said his store is Selling German and Trench asparagus for Jusi under 10 Marks s4,5fi per kilogram 72 pounds and the open air Market across the is reel from him has it listed at 13 Marks $5,93 a kilo. Neither of us has had Many takers the supermarket director said. Across the Street they re usually crowded with buyers they re slaying away in droves. The customer is Uncertain about what he can eat. We can t sell our milk Yogurt or creams although they come from the dairies which Are strictly controlled. We Hope the government and the Media get out the Ward soon that there s nothing in the shops that is not Griesheim in Ilic stale of i Lessen and the town of Eruch Sal in Badin Wcurt Temh crts arc the. Foremost centers for White asparagus in the country he by said. There s an ongoing rivalry Between us about who can grow the most he said we take care of Floc markets in the North Bruchal supplies the South. The wholesalers who bid Here Supply the markets of Berlin Hamburg Bremen and Frankfurt plus every Little Hamlet in soviets seek huge amounts of food from dec official says London a the Kremlin wants to buy massive quantities of food from the common Market because radiation from the nuclear disaster has contaminated craps and cattle in the Ukraine a member of the european parliament said thursday. The chernobyl nuclear Power Plant where an explosion and fire april 26 caused a reactor Core meltdown is in the heart of the Ukraine the soviet Union s richest agricultural area. Richard Cottrell a conservative British member of the european body said the soviets went through diplomatic channels to european economic Community Headquarters in Brussels Belgium asking to buy substantial quantities of surplus Community common Market food including Grain butter beef and skimmed milk All these commodities would be purchased far in excess of the relatively modest amounts in comparison which we be sold to the Savin Union in recent years he said in a radio interview with the British broadcasting corp. An official at common Market Headquarters said he could not confirm Coltrell s statement so far As i can establish we have had Nosuch request hcs Aid. Coltrell did not disclose the source of his information. The British foreign office said it Hud no won about the reported soviet request. The european Community commission the common Market s executive body said thursday it had issued a selective ban on fresh meat cattle and pigs from seven East european nations. The chernobyl meltdown spewed a huge invisible Cloud of radioactivity Over Europe and several East bloc coun tries some of which Border the Ukraine were among those most seriously affected. Cottrll said the Ukraine is the breadbasket of the soviet Union. There s no doubt that crops and indeed cattle have been contaminated by radioactive fallout. This now poses the russians with a problem which will arise with considerable severity this Winter hoi to feed not Only their own people but those in other com Ceon East bloc countries who also depend on Ilic Ukraine for their food he said the soviets normally do not approach common Market Headquarters about buying food surpluses dealing instead with Paris food brokers. Food prices on world commodity markets have risen since the Accident in anticipation of agricultural problems in the soviet Union. Cottrell said he hoped the 12-Nalion common Market would insist that the soviet Union agree to an Exchange of nuclear information As a condition for buying food from the West. Unless the russians Are prepared to come up with that then be should politely say no he said. Western governments have complained of Stow and in Complete reports from Moscow on the chernobyl disaster. Thatcher vows to reverse conservatives election losses London up prime minister Margaret Thatcher vowed Friday to turn around at the next general election a series of jolting electoral defeats and she urged her conservative parly w get cracking. Thatcher dismissed any talk of changing policies. In her most disastrous results since Brit Ain s 1982 falklands War Triumph voters across the country thursday ousted More than 700 conservatives from local govern ment councils and an opposition candidate snatched a parliamentary seat that Thatcher s party had held easily for the a 75 years. Some politicians died a libyan Factor Thatcher s permission for Britain based bombers to attack two libyan cities in the losses. But most analysis said it was Domestic policies thai made the difference. Our voters have shown they want a re turn to the values of a caring sharing partnership of working said Eliza Beth Shields the Liberal party candidate who ousted the conservatives from the parliament scat for Rye Dale with a Comfort Able 4,940-Voie margin Thatcher s tories balanced the results in the two special parliamentary elections by holding on a the seat for West Derbyshire. They still hold a big majority with 391 conservative members in theiso seat parliament. But the winning Edge in West Derbyshire was a paper thin 100 votes com pared to 15,000 in the last election in 1933. Well we won one and we lost one and the one we last Well get Back next time Thatcher told reporters when she visited her party s Headquarters. I came Down to say come on let s keep cheerful let s get cracking " mailing no concessions to the result the 60-year-old prime minister and British government chief since d79r said we just keep right on with the policies and redouble our Thatcher must Call a general election sometime before june 19s8. The biggest winners in thursday s local elections were the left Wing labor party which supports unilateral nuclear disarmament and More Public spending toward the country s unemployment and social prob lems. Labor gained majorities in 16 new councils to give it control in 88 local governments. The conservatives lost the majority in 29 to control Only 43, and the lib eral social Democrat Alliance gained two councils to control five. Labor Leader Neil Kinnick said the local elections were important because they involved 25 million people or two thirds of the electorate and they demonstrated they want the positive labor he said the re sults were evidence labor will be forming the Cit government. But it was the Middle of the Road Alli Ance that came out Best in the two parliamentary elections with labor trailing in a weak third place in both races. But conservative party chairman nor Man Tibbit played Down Hie importance of the two parliamentary by Csc clans because voters knew they would no be changing the balance of Power in the House of commons and would thus not be changing the govern ment. Tebbit said Al the mid term of the government there is a natural tendency for people to have a kick against the govern ment but we be never seen this country with such a Strong Economy Kenneth Baker a leading minister in Thatcher s Cabinet said irs been a very disappointing night but we be got 18 months or two years to go and i believe we can turn it
