Armstrong hits out at British government for failing farmers

Billy Armstrong, Ulster Unionist Party MLA for Mid-Ulster, and a member of the assembly agriculture committee has hit out at the Labour government for failing to aid farmers.

Mr Armstrong said he had received a letter from Lord Whitty - the Minister for Food, Farming and Waterways - stating that Northern Ireland would not be receiving weather aid compensation to offset additional costs due to the horrendous wet weather since May this year.

In the letter Lord Whitty acknowledged the difficulties that farmers faced, but other than working with them over recommendations on policy commission within the farming, food and milk task force, there was no money in the kitty to pay this subsidy.

Lord Whitty blamed the "many competing demands on the exchequer at present, particularly as more than 80 percent of the cost would be met by the British taxpayer".

At the beginning of July when it was declared that January to July has been the wettest seven months in Northern Ireland since records began, Mr Armstrong wrote to Margaret Beckett of DEFRA to highlight the terrible impact that the continuous rain has been having on agriculture in Northern Ireland.

In his letter, Mr Armstrong highlighted the worst effects of the wet weather and the expense that this caused farmers.

Mr Armstrong said: “You wouldn’t recognise fields that been trampled due to continuous rain and, as this has caused much delay in the growth of grass, these fields are now in need of re-seeding. But where is the money going to come from?"

He added: “Once again, the farmers' plight has been ignored by the Westminster government. Weather aid has been received in areas of the United Kingdom in the past, yet our government is unwilling to assist our farmers at this critical time when their backs are against the wall. Farmers deserve to have a supportive government, yet all too often they have been left to struggle on their own."

Mr Armstrong pledged to continue to campaign for the agriculture industry and to demand a "better standard of living for all our farmers, as well as for all the people of Northern Ireland”.

(SP)