Lord Sewell offers talks on farming crisis
20 August 1998
Lord Sewell offers talks on farming crisis
LORD SEWELL, the Scottish Office agricultural minister, has responded to the criticism levelled at the Government by the Scottish National Farmers Union over its handling of the farming industry.
He expressed sympathy for the plight of farmers and said he would meet with SNFU officials in early September. In answer to criticism that he is out of touch, he said that he had visited farms in every sector over the last 15 months
Lord Sewells intervention comes as the problems facing the industry in Scotland worsen. Store lamb prices have crashed, haymaking has been impossible in many areas, and the cereal harvest is progressing slowly with both yield and quality poor.
There is talk of farm workers having to be paid off permanently. There are also suggestions that dealerships in the machinery trade are badly affected.
- SNFU urges Nick Brown to visit farms, FWi, yesterday (19 August)
- The Scotsman 20/08/98 page 26