Little to please Welsh
Little to please Welsh
CONTINUED support for Welsh marketing and development schemes, with a closer relationship between government and farmer groups were the only crumbs of comfort offered to farmers by Ron Davies, secretary of state for Wales.
Mr Davies acknowledged there was a crisis facing UK agriculture and said he and farm minister, Jack Cunningham, were aware of the big increase in extra costs borne by farmers since the BSE crisis began. But the maximum support allowable for UK agriculture is £980m over three years, he explained. Of this, the beef industry can be allocated a maximum of only £154m over three years.
Against a backdrop of limited support and a changing world market, Mr Davies suggested producers should work more closely with government.
Changes in the agricultural market were inevitable because UK beef, lamb and milk were 35-50% above world market prices. And he said Welsh agriculture must, therefore, become more competitive or it will suffer the effects of a brutal, market driven change.
The only choice is to try to manage change by working with the government.
Ron Davies… Urged farmers to work more closely with the government.