Wipeout looming in Intensive Sector
25 September 2007
Speaking in a late night emergency debate on agriculture in the European Parliament, Jim Allister MEP warned that our intensive livestock sector was facing meltdown. Spiralling feedstuff prices and poor farmgate returns were driving the pig, poultry and other sectors to the wall. Supporting the end of "set aside", whereby some acreage is kept out of production, Jim Allister said:-
"At a time of spiralling and punitive increases in feedstuff prices, which is so hurting our intensive livestock sector, it is criminal to lock out of production land capable of decreasing our reliance on foreign imports. Thus, set aside must go, and go now.
But more is needed, including a proactive plan to address the looming crisis in our intensive sectors. For my part, such must include hands-on pressure on the multinational supermarket chains to give up the pricing strategy which suppresses farmgate prices. If this does not happen, then we are facing wipe out in much of our intensive sector. Such would be the greatest failure of agriculture policy of our time and something you Commissioner must urgently address."
ENDS
