Farm leaders urge EU beef rethink
20 February 2001
Farm leaders urge EU beef rethink
By FWi staff
BRITISH and Irish farm leaders have travelled to Brussels to urge the European Commission to revise plans to prop up Europes ailing beef market.
Livestock producers in Britain and Ireland claim they will be severely hit by proposals to curb beef production in the wake of the continuing BSE crisis.
Their representatives were due to put their case to Europe health and consumer safety commissioner David Byrne on Tuesday (20 February).
They were set to meet officials who drafted the beef reform package on behalf of the European Commission Agriculture Directorate on Wednesday.
Ben Gill, president of the National Farmers Union of England and Wales, has described the proposals as ill-conceived, unnecessary and damaging to Britain.
They include the reinstatement of a 90-head limit for Beef Special Premium payments and other measures designed to limit production.
Ulster Farmers Union President Douglas Rowe said consumer assurances were the priority but farmers should not be penalised from EU-wide reforms.
Mr Rowe said the meetings were crucial, putting across local producers concerns face to face with the officials who drafted the beef reform package.
Jim Walker, president of the National Farmers Union of Scotland, said his members were being penalised for what was a European problem.
Other countries had failed put in place adequate BSE controls, he said.
Mr Walker told FARMERS WEEKLY: “If these proposals are adopted then we really can kiss goodbye to our traditional beef industry in Scotland.”