Maginness - More most be done for dairy farmers

Friday 22 May 2009

SDLP European Candidate Alban Maginness has expressed his "deep concern" over the state of the dairy industry in Northern Ireland.

SDLP European Candidate Alban Maginness has expressed his "deep concern" over the state of the dairy industry in Northern Ireland.

He said: "Over the last number at months, and in particular at Balmoral Show, I have had the opportunity to meet and listen to dairy farmers and I have heard of the severe difficulties they and their industry is facing.

"It is an outrage in these difficult economic times that farmers are faced with high production costs, due to the price of feed-stuff, fertilisers and fuel whilst at the end of the line they are receiving prices that are far below the cost of production for the milk produced, while food processors and supermarkets continue to make enormous profits."

He added: "Although Export Refunds were introduced by the European Parliament, more needs to be done by MEPs to ensure that the dairy industry in Northern Ireland is sustainable and viable. Unfortunately there are many smaller dairy farmers unable to sustain their business and many have left this industry, with some farmers faced with the difficult choice of ending a family business that had been operating for generations.

"Moreover, further measures need to be taken by the European Parliament to help the failing dairy industry across the whole of Europe. We have recently witnessed scenes of protest by dairy farmers in France, who are in the same situation as dairy farmers here, where they dumped gallons of milk and also manure in front of government buildings and blocked them with cows and tractors, in a number of French towns".

Concluding Mr. Maginness said "The European Parliament needs to take urgent action to help dairy farmers here and across Europe through these very difficult times.

ENDS