27 August 1998 Edition
Action needed on agriculture
In the midst of the current crisis affecting farmers across Ireland, SF's Agriculture spokesperson, Gerry McHugh, has called for urgent action that ``will support farmers rather than forcing the weaker producers out of the market''.
He described the sudden anouncement of an end to the calf processing scheme on 30 November as ``yet another blow'' and moves to deter farmer retirement schemes as a ``potential disaster''.
The Fermanagh/South Tyrone Assembly member said the BSE fiasco, the strong pound and bad weather were causing the low prices currently afflicting the market. He also pointed to the dire situation amoung the pig farmers and the ongoing plight of the suckler beef and milk sectors.
McHugh said British agricultural policy was becoming increasingly anti family farmer, instead favouring large scale industrial production and was ill suited to farmers in the north. Calling for agriculture policy to be developed on an all-Ireland basis, McHugh said, ``while farmers in the north have to suffer in silence, a similar crisis in other parts of Ireland would have triggered major political action.''
He described the sudden anouncement of an end to the calf processing scheme on 30 November as ``yet another blow'' and moves to deter farmer retirement schemes as a ``potential disaster''.
The Fermanagh/South Tyrone Assembly member said the BSE fiasco, the strong pound and bad weather were causing the low prices currently afflicting the market. He also pointed to the dire situation amoung the pig farmers and the ongoing plight of the suckler beef and milk sectors.
McHugh said British agricultural policy was becoming increasingly anti family farmer, instead favouring large scale industrial production and was ill suited to farmers in the north. Calling for agriculture policy to be developed on an all-Ireland basis, McHugh said, ``while farmers in the north have to suffer in silence, a similar crisis in other parts of Ireland would have triggered major political action.''