Tories: Farmers to get only 25 a pig
31 August 2000
Tories: Farmers to get only 25 a pig
by FWi staff
FARMERS hit by swine fever controls may receive just 25 for each pig killed under the governments slaughter scheme, a leading Tory MEP has claimed.
Robert Sturdy, Conservative farm spokesman in the European Parliament, said the figure came from sources close to food safety commissioner David Byrne.
The amount is far less than the 100 in compensation demanded by the National Pig Association for each pig slaughtered in a bid to control the disease.
However, the NPA website reports that officials in Brussels has indicated that there would be no problem with granting full compensation for producers.
Brussels sources and reports from MEPs suggest that the European Commission would not regard 100% compensation as economic aid, it says.
Nevertheless, how much compensation is actually granted by Brussels depends on how much money British agriculture minister Nick Brown applies for.
Mr Brown is constrained by his own Treasury which would have to contribute a large percentage to the final sum paid out by the European Union.