The Christian Democrats are annoyed with the Nature and Environment Foundation for appealing to the Dutch public not to buy red roses for Valentine's Day.
The foundation's director, Mirjam van Wijk, said rose growers often use illegal pesticides which are a danger to public health and the environment. She also claimed that the Agriculture Ministry's inspectors (AID) do little to stop rose growers using harmful chemicals.
A spokesman for the AID said the inspection service has been checking rose growers for years and, although illegal chemicals were found in nearly 50 percent of cases, the quantities were so small it was wrong to conclude that growers use pesticides on a large scale.
Christian Democrat MP Jan Mastwijk suggested that rose growers might like to send Ms Van Wijk a cactus for Valentine's Day. He accused her of "deceiving the public" and dismissed her claims as "far too black and white".
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Roses galore
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Wonder why do people waste lovely flowers for any reason or occasion. It breaks my heart to see the lovely roses and other flowers wilting in the bouquets or vases and even in the dustbins. Why can't we send ecards or just cards of roses to our loved ones? Why sacrifice lovely flowers for that momentary joy on the face of our loved ones? I have lovely roses in my garden but I never pluck them.I want them to live their life happily on their motherbush.My Valentine gave me a lovely red rose card-I love him for it.I would rather take my Valentine to a rose garden and let him admire the roses on the bush, than pluck one for him.And I know, he understands that I do not love him less, but more!
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