NFU cries sabotage over poll

- Published: 11 March, 2008

The National Farmers' Union has cried sabotage, claiming its recent poll into the adoption of the Red Tractor scheme by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board was under attack.

The online poll which asked 'should the Agriculture and Horticultural Development Board (Levy Board UK) back the Red Tractor?' was taken down on Monday after registering more than 1,000 votes, with more than 75% saying no.

However, the NFU said the poll was not a true representation of farmers opinions, claiming it fell victim to an attack from one single computer.

NFU spokesman Anthony Gibson said: "We noticed shortly after it was put on the website that it was getting vastly more visits than most other polls we've put up.

"We discovered that the vast majority were coming from a single computer server in batches of around 30 a time. It was being sabotaged, so we decided to pull it and I have to say its rather sad that what was a genuine and honest attempt to take the temperature of opinion amongst farmers was subverted in the way this was."

?MTJ is now running its own poll on the topic, please feel free to vote, no cheating.