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Old 16-04-2013, 04:25 PM
echinosum echinosum is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Feb 2006
Location: Chalfont St Giles
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin[_2_] View Post
The Dutch woman who got 4 years in prison for using slave labour
immigrants to pick asparagus has appealed against her prison
sentence, on the basis that as a result of having to pay workers the
minimum legal salary since she was caught her business is bankrupt
--

Martin in Zuid Holland
Protection racketeers might also find they do not have a profitable security/insurance business when no longer permitted to make threats of violence against their customers. But I can see that she is making a political point that will go down well in some quarters despite the (presumable) legal hopelessness of such a claim.

But it is generally the case that all kinds of farmers have had to be very canny to remain profitable in high labour cost countries, and there still seem to be plenty of operating dutch farmers who clearly have the skills, though doubtless some have fallen by the wayside. Personally I'm willing to pay a substantial premium for north European asparagus because it is tastier than the warm country stuff that is now so much for sale, and I expect a clever asparagus farmer can exploit that. But if she was trying to compete against warm country low cost suppliers, she would indeed fail.