THOUSANDS of sheep
farmers including some from Inishowen are being
"squeezed out" of the industry as severe market
conditions hit.
That's according to Independent MEP Marian Harkin
who said an estimated 34,000 sheep farmers could go
to the wall.
Ms. Harkin who held a clinic in Inishowen at the
weekend, called on Agriculture Minister Brendan
Smith to lobby the next meeting of the European
Council of Agriculture Ministers for urgent
assistance.
"Faced with prices from factories which are no
better than 20 years ago, while costs for fertiliser
have more than doubled in the past year, there is an
urgent need for a market price increase of at least
€10 per lamb and full implementation of the €34
million programme promised by the Government in May
2007," said Ms Harkin.
She said the "critically important meeting" of
agriculture ministers had to be used by Ireland to
obtain "tangible financial support" for Irish sheep
farmers.
“In this regard the proposal for compulsory
electronic tagging should be removed and special
aids for hill sheep farmers provided
“If this is not done the very critical contribution
hill sheep farmers make to sustaining communities in
the most disadvantaged areas of the country will be
seriously reduced, a development which will run
counter to the stated commitment of the Government
to a sustained rural development programme," added
the North West MEP.
She said sheep numbers were now at a critical level
in Ireland and, if they fell further, could result
in the collapse of the entire industry.
“The Irish sheep industry is at a crossroads and it
is imperative for the Minister for Agriculture to
come out of the September meeting of the Council of
Agriculture Ministers with meaningful support
measures for this hard pressed sector of the Irish
economy." |
