Agrimoney on the cards as election looms
By FWi staff
SCOTTISH farmers leader Jim Walker believes the chance of winning full agrimonetary compensation could be stronger than in previous years because of the looming general election.
Scotlands producers would be entitled to about 30m of the 202 million UK total which farming unions are jointly seeking to offset the effects of the weak Euro on farm incomes.
And Mr Walker, president of the Scottish NFU, hopes that rural MPs will put pressure on the government to apply to Brussels for the aid before the 30 April deadline.
“This is the last significant chance we have to claim compensation for the introduction of the Euro,” he says.
The transitionary measure was put in place following the introduction of the Euro in 1999, and current regulations state that no new claims will be allowed after this year.
The UK unions will seek meetings with farm minister Nick Brown and Treasury ministers in their campaign to secure the aid.
“The timing is quite helpful to us, because of the prospect of a general election.
“And we expect to use this issue to test the willingness of government to put its money where its mouth is, and to find out if it really is interested in the rural vote or not,” says Mr Walker.