Maginness welcomes relief for struggling farming industry

Friday 29 May 2009

SDLP European candidate Alban Maginness MLA has welcomed proposals announced by EU Agriculture Commissioner Marianne Fischer Boel to allow an advanced payment of up to 70 per cent of the Single Farm Payment to assist the struggling farming industry.

Mr Maginness said: "These economically difficult times have compounded problems for Northern Ireland's farmers who are facing steep production costs in the dairy sectors and other sectors such as beef and arable, which has resulted from a combination of factors like high feed, fertiliser and diesel costs.

"This has left many farmers with severe financial problems and everything must be done to alleviate them and help their businesses remain economically viable.

"Plans currently being finalised for presentation to EU Ministers, could enable famers to receive an advance of their Single Farm Payment around the middle of October, two months earlier than normal.

"This will be greatly welcomed by famers who will be able to pay off some of their bills sooner than expected.

"However, further urgent action is needed by the European Parliament to help Northern Ireland's farmers, and in particular those in the dairy sector, as they are all facing great economic hardship due to high production costs and low prices for their final product."

ENDS