UFU takes grievances to London's streets

The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) will bring its Campaign Against a Rural Exodus (CARE) to London this weekend when UFU members join thousands of rural dwellers at the Countryside Alliance March on Sunday.

The UFU says Northern Ireland farmers have been earning below the national minimum wage for the past five years, a situation which the Union describes as totally unsustainable for farming families.

UFU President John Gilliland said there was genuine concern that a rural exodus was underway, claiming that only 4% of Northern Ireland farmers are under the age of thirty.

Mr Gilliland also highlighted the low morale within farming circles, saying: "A recent survey by Queen's University Belfast showed that 70% of local farmers feel a high degree of hopelessness. This is a totally unsustainable situation and we must address the problems afflicting the farming industry. The UK government must re-engage in the farming debate and help create the conditions where farming families can enjoy a decent quality of life."

UFU leaders and members will join the Countryside Alliance March in London to bring their message directly to the UK government. The Union says there are serious problems in the Northern Ireland rural economy and society which must be addressed urgently.

Elsewhere, the UUP's assembly spokesman on agriculture has criticised Agriculture Minister Brid Rodgers over proposals for a Vision Group Exercise as myopic in its terms of reference.

“It is a pity that the Minister chooses to see the entire future of agriculture in terms of the Vision Group exercise. That exercise was a consultation with interested parties and while valuable in itself, does not fully address the major threats facing Northern Ireland agriculture in an increasingly destabilised and volatile world market," he said.

"What I am calling for is a market-driven 10-year-plan based on the realities of the commodity market, the threats posed by the expansion of the European Union and the shifting trends in consumer Group report, then it doesn’t exist and as far as she is concerned, it doesn’t count.

"Unfortunately, the world is a bigger place than the Vision Group report and the economic factors that work out there are going to affect us whether the Minister likes it or not. So, far from being needless duplication of existing work, I am asking for the Vision exercise and the wish list that emerged from it to be extended into a proper market based strategic planning exercise," he added.

(GMcG)