15/04/2010
Election Fever Spreads To NI Farms
As the May General Election looms ever closer, polling fever has broken-out on an NI farm.
The Conservatives and Unionists candidate Harry Hamilton for Upper Bann has this week welcomed a visit to Northern Ireland by Jim Paice, Shadow Minister for Agriculture.
Joined by Jim Nicholson MEP, Westminster MP Mr Paice visited the Waringstown beef and cereal farm of local UUP Councillor Jo-Anne Dobson and her husband John.
Speaking after the visit, Harry Hamilton said: "Conservatives and Unionists care passionately about Northern Ireland's rural communities as an essential part of our social and economic fabric, and we are delighted to have the ear of the Shadow Minister for Agriculture.
"Now more than ever, rural communities in Northern Ireland need a thriving farming industry - Conservatives and Unionists understand and recognize the significant strategic importance of agriculture to the wider Northern Ireland economy.
"A Conservative and Unionist government will work closely with the Northern Ireland Assembly to promote and defend the interests of Northern Ireland's farming industry and rural communities," he insisted.
"Encouraging consumers to buy local produce not only helps local farmers but benefits the environment too by reducing the amount of food miles.
"A Conservative and Unionist Government will introduce honesty in food labelling to put an end to misleading practices and give consumers the choice to buy food produced locally and the assurance of high animal welfare standards," he continued, noting that supermarkets provide consumers with a rich variety of choice and convenience - but said the competition authorities "have made clear that some aspects of the way retailers deal with their suppliers could, if left unchecked, also harm consumers".
"We will ensure a fair market for food suppliers - especially farmers - by reducing the burden of regulation and introducing a strong and enforceable grocery supply code of practice.
"To ensure this code is fairly applied, a Conservative and Unionist government will introduce an independent supermarket ombudsman, as a separate unit within the Office of Fair Trading," he concluded.
(BMcC/GK)
The Conservatives and Unionists candidate Harry Hamilton for Upper Bann has this week welcomed a visit to Northern Ireland by Jim Paice, Shadow Minister for Agriculture.
Joined by Jim Nicholson MEP, Westminster MP Mr Paice visited the Waringstown beef and cereal farm of local UUP Councillor Jo-Anne Dobson and her husband John.
Speaking after the visit, Harry Hamilton said: "Conservatives and Unionists care passionately about Northern Ireland's rural communities as an essential part of our social and economic fabric, and we are delighted to have the ear of the Shadow Minister for Agriculture.
"Now more than ever, rural communities in Northern Ireland need a thriving farming industry - Conservatives and Unionists understand and recognize the significant strategic importance of agriculture to the wider Northern Ireland economy.
"A Conservative and Unionist government will work closely with the Northern Ireland Assembly to promote and defend the interests of Northern Ireland's farming industry and rural communities," he insisted.
"Encouraging consumers to buy local produce not only helps local farmers but benefits the environment too by reducing the amount of food miles.
"A Conservative and Unionist Government will introduce honesty in food labelling to put an end to misleading practices and give consumers the choice to buy food produced locally and the assurance of high animal welfare standards," he continued, noting that supermarkets provide consumers with a rich variety of choice and convenience - but said the competition authorities "have made clear that some aspects of the way retailers deal with their suppliers could, if left unchecked, also harm consumers".
"We will ensure a fair market for food suppliers - especially farmers - by reducing the burden of regulation and introducing a strong and enforceable grocery supply code of practice.
"To ensure this code is fairly applied, a Conservative and Unionist government will introduce an independent supermarket ombudsman, as a separate unit within the Office of Fair Trading," he concluded.
(BMcC/GK)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.