Blair considers help for dairy farmers
16 March 2000
Blair considers help for dairy farmers
By FWi staff
PRIME minister Tony Blair has pledged to consider whether dairy farmers should receive emergency aid to help offset the slump in milk prices.
Mr Blair told MPs that aid for dairy producers would be one of the subjects for discussion at a Downing Street summit with farmers leaders on March 30.
He made the pledge at Prime Ministers Question Time after dairy farmers lobbied their MPs at the House of Commons on Wednesday (15 March).
Mr Blair conceded that the position of farmers had worsened particularly in the dairy sector recently and promised to do what he could to help.
“We will see what measures we can take to help both the dairy industry and other sectors like the pig industry that are experiencing real difficulty.”
But the Prime Minister re-iterated his view that any short-term aid for producers must be linked to a long term solution to farmers problems.
He added: “We are aware of the problems but we need solutions that are long term as well as solutions which simply get them over a short term crisis.”
The farm summit will be attended by representatives from the four main farm unions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The National Farmers Union wants the government to grant tax breaks to farmers in next weeks Budget to help producers ride out the current crisis.
Further tax burdens will tip the balance for many farmers forced to weigh up whether to stay in the industry, said Ben Gill, NFU President.
“The unsustainable high strength of sterling has been a common factor in the continuing crisis devastating every sector of British agriculture and horticulture.
Further costs on the industry which has already cut costs to the bone will destroy any little remaining confidence the industry has in Government, he added.