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Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tributes to legendary Stroud market stall trader who has died aged 93
TRIBUTES have been paid to a Stroud trader and 'town icon' following her recent death at the age of 93. Mary Shiner, known for her longstanding second-hand Vintage Mary stall at Stroud's Shambles Market in The Shambles, died on Friday, May 30. Tributes to the 'Stroud icon' poured in following the announcement of her death on social media, including from actor William Moseley and Stroud MP Dr Simon Opher. Announcing the trader's death on social media on Tuesday, June 3, the Vintage Mary stall wrote: 'I'm very sorry to have to share our sad news with you that Vintage Mary, good friend to us all and the kindest and most amazing creator of Vintage Mary, died peacefully on the morning of May 30. 'Always totally inspiring, we will sorely miss her warmth, love, laughter and the big cheery smile as she welcomed everyone to Vintage Mary's totally-unique and very special market. 'We share all her love of the market with you all.' MP Dr Opher commented: 'I was very sorry to hear about Mary's death. 'She was the very best of Stroud - positive and caring, and way ahead of her time commercially. 'Her Monday-morning market became a Stroud institution, and she will be much missed.' Sheepscombe-born actor Mr Moseley - known for playing Peter Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia films and Prince Liam in the E! series The Royals - also commented: 'We are very sad to hear of Mary's passing. 'She was an incredible person, and I have many things in my home that I bought from her at the market.' Mary, whose father and brother were Gurkha officers, was born in the Indian city of Murree (now part of Pakistan) in August 1931. She travelled to England with her mother in 1939 in order to take her brother back to school, but they got stuck in the UK amid the outbreak of World War II. They subsequently moved to Wales, where her mother was from, living in the Welsh seaside resort of Towyn. Like her mother, Mary became a nurse, and she pursued her career in London. She married Brendan, a barrister and the brother of her best friend, in 1954, and the pair moved to Amberley with their young family in 1972. Mary's son Tim explained that the Vintage Mary stall started when Mary began selling second-hand school uniforms with fellow school mum Gerry Bowen in the late 1970s. 'She would go to jumble sales or similar events, buy Marling and Archway blazers and sell them at the stall,' he said. 'Quite quickly, it expanded, as people were asking for different items,' daughter-in-law Gail added. Following Gerry's departure from the stall, Mary has been assisted by colleague Abi. Vintage Mary originally traded at the Shambles Market on Friday, but has since expanded to a Monday offering with a full run of The Shambles. Following Mary's death, a quiet corner has been established at the Vintage Mary market where people have been able to leave tributes. Social media-users have also been sharing their memories of the trader online, with one describing her as 'an amazing Stroud icon'. 'Mary's creation of the weekly market is part of Stroud's culture, and thanks to Abi and her team, it continues to thrive,' one user wrote. 'Her commitment to Stroud's independent market community and her particular support of artists and makers was beautiful,' another said. 'There's been such an outpouring of love for her,' Gail said. 'One of my friends said: 'She only had to meet you once, and she'd never ask your name again – she'd just remember.' 'She had this amazing ability to make you feel at home.' Woodchester Valley Vineyard in Woodchester's Convent Lane paid its own tribute to Mary on social media, describing the 93-year-old as 'a dearly-loved member of the family'. 'Mother-in-law to vineyard-founder Fiona and mother to her husband Niall, Mary was very much part of the inspiration behind planting the vineyard at Woodchester Valley, with our first few acres at Amberley being planted at the home she lived in for over 50 years,' the vineyard wrote. 'Mary was certainly from a fantastic vintage, with her amazing energy, sense of humour, warmth and ability to make anyone feel at home in her company. 'She will be hugely missed by all her friends and family, including her four children - Niall, Ceri, Charles and Tim - 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.' Mary's ninth great-grandchild is due to be born on Mary's birthday later this summer.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Why is the EU still buying Russian fertilizer?
Why is the EU still buying Russian fertilizer? (Image: AP) Amid the intense focus on the European Union's efforts to reduce imports of Russian gas and oil over the past few years, a significant product has slipped under the radar: fertilizer. Russia is a major global producer and exporter of fertilizer, which is used by farmers and food producers to provide nutrients to plants and crops. While the EU has largely cut out Russian oil and gas from its import list, it has ramped up its purchases of the country's fertilizer since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Russia's share of EU fertilizer imports has grown from 17% in 2022 to about 30% now. In 2024 alone, imports rose by more than 33% to around $2 billion (€1.75 billion). According to the MIT Observatory of Economic Complexity — a detailed trade data platform — Russia exported a total $15.3 billion worth of fertilizers in 2023, making it the largest exporter in the world. While its primary export markets are India and Brazil, the EU collectively accounts for a significant chunk of Russia's exports, weighing in at around 13% in 2023. Earlier this month, however, the European Parliament endorsed the European Commission's proposal to introduce a 6.5% tariff on fertilizers imported from Russia and Belarus. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The plan is to continue ramping up the tariffs to 50% by 2028. Why does the EU buy so much Russian fertilizer? This can be partly explained by the type of fertilizer Russia produces and how it produces it. Russia specializes in nitrogen-based or inorganic fertilizer, which requires huge amounts of natural gas both as a raw material and to produce it. Many EU nations require nitrogen-based fertilizers because they are particularly rich in nitrogen and vital nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium. William Moseley, professor of geography at Macalester College in the USA and a member of the UN High-Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition, told DW that Russia is particularly well-placed to meet this demand because it can use cheap gas to produce the fertilizer for far lower prices than European competitors can. The European fertilizer sector has railed against what some have said is Russia "dumping" cheap fertilizer into the EU market. When European energy prices surged and energy markets were disrupted by the invasion of Ukraine, many European producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers were forced to stop production. Now they have lost market share to Russia and are struggling to compete. What are the EU's alternatives? According to Moseley, the EU's tariff plans suggest it is serious about weaning itself off Russian fertilizer by 2028. "This will force EU countries to source inorganic fertilizer from elsewhere," he told DW, identifying China, Oman, Morocco, Canada or the US as potential alternative markets. Mosley believes other alternatives for the EU would be to turn to its own sources of nitrogen-based fertilizer — which would be very expensive, due to the gas requirements — or to ramp up the use of organic fertilizer made from manure and composted organic waste. This option, he added, was "more sustainable and better for the soil." "While it is unlikely that the EU could become totally independent of inorganic fertilizer imports, it could certainly shift the ratio towards more dependence on home-grown organic fertilizer production, especially if it is done gradually," said Mosley. The EU itself has acknowledged that it wants to move in this direction of developing fertilizer processed from animal dung and urine. Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, said in February that the livestock sector could "provide a positive input to the circular economy" with organic fertilizer, as it is "domestically grown and doesn't need to come from outside and is not based on high energy prices like gas." How will the EU plan work? Moseley thinks the EU fertilizer tariffs, if carried out as planned by 2028, will gradually eliminate Russian imports from the EU market. "By 2028, the duties will be so high that it will be economically unviable for the EU to import inorganic fertilizer from Russia and Belarus." The EU's sanctions will come into effect in July and specifically target agricultural products which it had neglected previously, including fertilizers. In a statement, the EU Commission said particularly fertilizer imports "make the EU vulnerable to potential coercive actions by Russia and thus present a risk to EU food security." The reason why the sanctions are to be phased in gradually over the next three years is to give EU farmers time to find alternatives, particularly if they are already dependent on Russian fertilizers. Are farmers and fertilizer producers happy? In a statement on the EU tariff plan, the president of the Fertilizers Europe industry group, Leo Alders, said surging imports of Russian fertilizers into Europe have been "undermining fair competition and putting pressure on domestic producers" for too long. Although calling for higher tariffs to be brought in more quickly, Alders wrote that "by levelling the playing field, tariffs will contribute to ensuring that European producers can continue supplying European farmers with high-quality, sustainable fertilizers for years to come." However, farmers' groups are not happy because they feel the EU has not done enough to develop realistic, affordable alternatives to Russian fertilizer. Copa and Cocega, the two major agricultural umbrella organisations in the EU, released a joint statement urging the EU to present a clear strategy on diversification of fertilizer supply. If the EU is determined to reduce dependency on Russian and Belarusian fertilizers, they said, it must present a "credible and forward-looking" alternative. "We cannot afford to further undermine the economic viability of farms or the food security of millions across the EU," the statement underlined.
DW
04-06-2025
- Business
- DW
Why is the EU still buying Russian fertilizer? – DW – 06/04/2025
Russian fertilizer has become increasingly important to European agriculture over the past three years, despite the war in Ukraine. Brussels appears to be finally dealing with the issue but no everyone is convinced. Amid the intense focus on the European Union's efforts to reduce imports of Russian gas and oil over the past few years, a significant product has slipped under the radar: fertilizer. Russia is a major global producer and exporter of fertilizer, which is used by farmers and food producers to provide nutrients to plants and crops. However, while the EU has largely cut out Russian oil and gas from its import list, it ramped up its purchases of the country's fertilizer since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Russia's share of EU fertilizer imports has grown from 17% in 2022 to about 30% now. In 2024 alone, imports rose by more than 33% to around $2 billion (€1.75 billion). Ammonia production in artificial fertilzers requires huge amounts of gas Image: Erik Romanenko/TASS/dpa/picture alliance According to the MIT Observatory of Economic Complexity — a detailed trade data platform — Russia exported a total $15.3 billion worth of fertilizers in 2023, making it the largest exporter in the world. While its primary export markets are India and Brazil, the EU collectively accounts for a significant chunk of Russia's exports, weighing in at around 13% in 2023. Earlier this month, however, the European Parliament endorsed the European Commission's proposal to introduce a 6.5% tariff on fertilizers imported from Russia and Belarus. The plan is to continue ramping up the tariffs to 50% by 2028. Why does the EU buy so much Russian fertilizer? This can be partly explained by the type of fertilizer Russia produces and how it produces it. Russia specializes in nitrogen-based or inorganic fertilizer, which requires huge amounts of natural gas both as a raw material and to produce it. Many EU nations require nitrogen-based fertilizers because they are particularly rich in nitrogen and vital nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium. William Moseley, professor of geography at Macalester College and a member of the UN High-Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition, told DW that Russia is particularly well-placed to meet this demand because it can use cheap gas to produce the fertilizer for far lower prices than European competitors can. Due to cheap domestic gas, Russian fertilizer companies have a cost advantage over their European rivals Image: Sebastian Willnow/dpa/picture alliance The European fertilizer sector has railed against what some have said is Russia "dumping" cheap fertilizer into the EU market. When European energy prices surged and energy marketswere disrupted by the invasion of Ukraine, many European producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers were forced to stop production. Now they have lost market share to Russia and are struggling to compete. What are the EU's alternatives? According to William Moseley, the EU's tariff plans suggest it is serious about weaning itself off Russian fertilizer by 2028. "This will force EU countries to source inorganic fertilizer from elsewhere," he told DW, identifying China, Oman, Morocco, Canada or the US as potential alternative markets. Mosley believes other alternatives for the EU would be to turn to its own sources of nitrogen-based fertilizer — which would be very expensive, due to the gas requirements — or to ramp up the use of organic fertilizermade from manure and composted organic waste. This option, he added, was "more sustainable and better for the soil." "While it is unlikely that the EU could become totally independent of inorganic fertilizer imports, it could certainly shift the ratio towards more dependence on home-grown organic fertilizer production, especially if it is done gradually," said Mosley. Can organic fertilizer made from manure really dent Russian import volumes Image: FRP/Countrypixel/picture alliance The EU itself has acknowledged that it wants to move in this direction of developing fertilizer processed from animal dung and urine. Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, said in February that the livestock sector could "provide a positive input to the circular economy" with organic fertilizer, as it is "domestically grown and doesn't need to come from outside and is not based on high energy prices like gas." How will the EU plan work? Moseley thinks the EU fertilizer tariffs, if carried out as planned to 2028, will gradually eliminate Russian imports from the EU market. "By 2028, the duties will be so high that it will be economically unviable for the EU to import inorganic fertilizer from Russia and Belarus." The EU's sanctions will come into effect in July and specifically target agricultural products which it had neglected previously, including fertilizers. EU plans new sanctions to deflate Putin's war chest To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In a statement, the EU Commission said particularly fertilzer imports "make the EU vulnerable to potential coercive actions by Russia and thus present a risk to EU food security." The reason why the sanctions are to be phased in gradually over the next three years is to give EU farmers time to find alternatives, particularly if they are already dependent on Russian fertilizers. Are farmers and fertilizer producers happy? In a statement on the EU tariff plan, the president of the Fertilizers Europe industry group, Leo Alders, said surging imports of Russian fertilizers into Europe have been "undermining fair competition and putting pressure on domestic producers" for too long. Although calling for higher tariffs to be brought in more quickly, Alders wrote that "by levelling the playing field, tariffs will contribute to ensuring that European producers can continue supplying European farmers with high-quality, sustainable fertilizers for years to come." However, farmers' groups are not happy because they feel the EU has not done enough to develop realistic, affordable alternatives to Russian fertilizer. Copa and Cocega, the two major agricultural umbrella organisations in the EU, released a joint statement urging the EU to present a clear strategy on diversification of fertilizer supply. If the EU is determined to reduce dependency on Russian and Belarusian fertilizers, they said, it must present a "credible and forward-looking" alternative. "We cannot afford to further undermine the economic viability of farms or the food security of millions across the EU," the statment underlined. Edited by: Uwe Hessler
