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Gildernew manipulating agriculture portfolio - Allister

11 May 2007

Jim Allister MEP has strongly criticised Michelle Gildernew for blindly pursuing an all-Ireland agenda on agriculture regardless of the impact this will have on the Northern Ireland Agri-food industry.

Mr Allister commented,
‘In the Sinn Fein Manifesto, which the Minister will seek to implement, among the preposterous measures to which she is committed are the removal of UK status from Northern Ireland food labelling and the setting up of an All-Ireland Food Promotion Agency. The Manifesto also commits to the ringfencing of milk quota for redistribution on an Island-wide basis’.

‘These priorities are not something which farmers and food processors in Northern Ireland want, but simply reflect Gildernew’s narrow political agenda. This is despite the fact that the key players in the agri-food industry are preparing to launch a major new campaign aimed at promoting local Northern Ireland food.’  

He continued, ‘The new Minister has also expressed her bias towards small farmers. The fact is that the agricultural industry is made up of a range of different sized farm holdings, which all require the full backing of Government for the industry to move forward. The Sinn Fein notion is a far cry from the reality of an industry that has struggled and continues to press hard to improve its competitiveness on the World market’.     

‘One would have thought the Minister has enough issues to be resolved by her Department North of the Border, without the need to focus South.’

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Agriculture and Environment