Government to offer 100m aid package
16 November 1998
Government to offer £100m aid package
By FWi staff
THE Government is expected to reveal an aid package to farmers worth at least £100 million later today (Monday).
The long-awaited package, which has taken months to prepare, will be primarily targeted at small farmers, hill farms, and those farming on marginal land, agriculture minister Nick Brown told the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning.
The deal is expected to include almost £50m for beef farmers from the European Unions agrimoney fund, designed to compensate farmers for the strong Pound.
That amount will be matched pound-for-pound by the Treasury.
Mr Brown is also expected to announce the retention of the calf processing aid scheme and an increase in hill livestock compensatory allowances.
Todays announcement comes less than a week after farmers leaders met Prime Minister Tony Blair to press home the need for financial help.