Lyon calls for farm exit scheme
17 September 1998
Lyon calls for farm exit scheme
GEORGE LYON, president of the Scottish National Farmers Union, has called on the Government to devise a scheme which would farmers to leave the industry with dignity.
Lyon warned of grim times ahead for the industry, at a conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
He said: “Under Agenda 2000 we should be seeking to negotiate a decent deal that allows the industry to restructure in a managed way.”
But Lyon detected signs also of an upswing in the industry. He said it looked like interest rates had peaked. The strong Pound may have reached a plateau. There were also reports of cereal prices firming and progress on lifting the beef ban.
He said: We are probably near the bottom of the cycle but it is difficult to predict when the upturn will come. It could be six to nine months away.”