Help announced to boost sheep prices
02 October 1998
Help announced to boost sheep prices
By FWi staff
TWO significant moves were announced today (Friday) to help relieve the crisis in the sheep industry.
The first, the announcement of a private storage aid scheme to take excess supplies of sheepmeat off the market, will start on 19 October.
Aid under the private storage scheme will be paid at about £948 per tonne. Offers should be submitted between 19 October and 20 November.
The scheme will allow a maximum volume of 2400 tonnes of sheepmeat to be accepted into stores in the United Kingdom. A further 450 tonnes will be stored in Ireland.
In a separate move, the export of whole sheep carcasses will be allowed to resume from next Thursday (8 Octctober), almost two weeks sooner than originally announced.
Government ministers brought forward the date following concern that the current collapse in sheep prices is having a devastating effect on farmers.
The regulations, which will allow exports to named slaughterhouses, were revised after being laid before Parliament last Monday (28 September).
Farmers and trade representatives said both moves could boost cull ewe prices by as much as £15 each.