Allister presses Agriculture Minister in Assembly Questions
30 November 2011
During this week’s oral questions to the Agriculture Minister, TUV MLA Jim Allister, pressed the Minister on two issues, tackling tuberculosis and the disadvantage faced by UK egg producers from other member states not having met EU requirements on cages.
With the Minister proclaiming commitment to the fight against bovine TB, Mr Allister bluntly asked, “When will the Minister put pragmatism before dogma and sentiment and support a badger cull so that we can assist in stopping the transmission of TB from one farm to another?”
The answer, as before, was disappointing with it being clear that this Minister will not take the action necessary on badgers to help eliminate TB. “Sadly”, commented Mr Allister, “the minister still seems more committed to protecting the badger than protecting farmers and herds from the ravages of this disease. Hence, the rural community continues to pay the price for her dogma.”
On egg production, Mr Allister joined in expressing deep concern about the inequity resulting from UK farmers complying with EU requirements on cages, while several other countries have remained non-compliant. “Our farmers dutifully, and at considerable expense, complied while some other egg-producing countries defaulted, now producing a most unfair competitive disadvantage to our producers. So far the EU Commission or Council of Ministers have not taken adequate action to address this inequity. Hence, in my exchange with the minister I made these points:
“The Minister congratulates local farmers who have put themselves at great expense to be compliant. Does she acknowledge that it is no thanks to her Department that they have put themselves in that position? Not one penny of assistance was given to the poultry sector in that regard, and now they find themselves in a position where they have complied and have done what was asked, but it seems that around 50% of other member states have not bothered. Can the Minister assure us that there will be strong and relentless action to bring some equity to the situation?”
The response was less than reassuring, nonetheless it is imperative that Europe addresses this issue robustly, indeed, just as robustly as they have addressed perceived deficiencies in our SFP regime, resulting in heavy fines. How much will the defaulting countries now be fined on the cage issue? We wait to see.”
