Republican News · Thursday 3 October 2002

Ferris slams meat factory price cuts

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture Martin Ferris TD has questioned the manner in which the meat factories determine the price being paid to beef farmers. Deputy Ferris was commenting as farmers continued their protest at selected AIBP and Dawn Meat plants on Monday morning.

"It is disgraceful that the cartel that controls the meat factories can fix prices in such an arbitary fashion," he said. "Given that the Russian market has been reopened to Irish beef and that prices have risen in the other EU states, there would appear to be little justification for the price cuts imposed on farmers since July.

"Farmers have already experienced severe falls in income this year due to the weather and this co-ordinated price cut is adding to their difficulties. Consumers have also been the victims of this approach as they have faced the biggest price increases of any EU state up to July 2002."

Fischler comments welcomed

Martin Ferris has also welcome Agricultural Commissioner Fischler's rejection of the use of EU grants to convince farmers to vote Yes in the Nice referendum. Fischler said it would be 'nonsense' to threaten Irish farmers that they would be punished if they vote No. Ferris said that Fischler's statement "must be seen as an implicit criticism of the manner in which the government has sought to use EU funds to influence the way in which farmers will vote. Apart from cynically timing payments to coincide with the referendum, government and other pro-Nice spokesperson have claimed that EU funding will be under threat if Nice is rejected for the second time.

"It is clear from Commissioner Fischler's comments that this will not be the case. A different approach may have to be adopted in relation to the proposed enlargement but that surely must be welcomed. That would mean that the concerns expressed by the people of this state will have to be seriously addressed. It will also mean that much greater consideration will be given to Irish concerns over the future of agriculture in the enlarged union."