Arable growers lobby MPs over aid
15 October 2001
Arable growers lobby MPs over aid
By Adrienne Francis
FARMERS leaders are set to lobby their MPs about the dire plight of the arable sector and the governments reluctance to grant help.
National Farmers Union leader Ben Gill is expected to lead a delegation of 30 growers to the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday (16 October).
The lobby is part of a union campaign to press the government to apply for 57 million in agrimonetary compensation from the European Union.
Arable growers want the money to help offset the strong Pound which has devalued subsidies, sucked in imports and made exports difficult.
The government has less than three weeks to apply for the compensation.
The arable sector has also been hit this year by a dire harvest, estimated to be down by a devastating 30% due to last winters bad weather.
To make matters worse, cereals prices are expected to fall after Brussels was given the go-ahead to abolish import tariffs on grain from east Europe.
Mr Gill said the abolition of the 
10/tonne import tariff was a “massive threat” to UK farmers who are already suffering.
“Our market prices – which are already far lower than those on the Continent due to the strong Pound – are all too likely to fall even further.
“I cannot help but fear that this triple whammy could prove to be the final straw for many in our crippled industry.”
Producers would also be infuriated that levies for the import of fertilisers from east Europe were being imposed as anti-dumping taxes, said Mr Gill.
- Farmers may have to fund arable aid, FWi, 12 October, 2001
- Brussels scraps grain import levy, FWi, 11 October, 2001
- War effort may prevent arable aid, FWi, 11 October 2001
- Beckett silent on arable aid, FWi, 1 October, 2001
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