European visitors check out farming practices
MEP highlights the future of the CAP
The Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson welcomed three MEPs from the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee to Northern Ireland this week for a series of engagements in the Province.
Conservative MEP Neil Parish who is chairman of the Agriculture Committee in the European Parliament along with Austrian MEP Agnes Schierhuber and German MEP Lutz Goepel made the visit en route to an official engagement in Scotland.
The MEPs visited a dairy farmer and a sheep farm in County Antrim to hear concerns about a number of issues facing the local farming industry and visited Stormont to meet with local UUP Agriculture representatives including Fermanagh/South Tyrone representative, Tom Elliott MLA who is vice–chairman of the Assembly’s agriculture committee, George Savage MLA, Billy Armstrong MLA and John McCallister MLA.
In addition the MEPs also addressed a well attended public meeting organised by Jim Nicholson MEP for farmers on the future of farming in the CAP.
Speaking after the visit Mr Nicholson said: "I am delighted that the MEPs were able to take time out of their busy schedules to visit Northern Ireland for a series of important visits. Neil Parish and the rest of the MEPs are strong defenders of the agriculture industry in the European Parliament.
"Neil Parish holds a very influential position in the European Parliament as chairman of the agriculture committee and we are very lucky to have him in Northern Ireland to come and speak to us about the very important issue of the future of the CAP," he explained.
"When times are tough everyone says that Agriculture is Northern Ireland’s most important industry and that is as true now as it has ever been. The twin challenges Europe faces in the future are energy security and food security but the important thing we all must remember is that this is not just a problem for the agriculture sector but it is something that affects everyone."
Turning to the future of the CAP Mr Nicholson said: "Over the last 20 years the Agriculture Industry has witnessed great change, which has been more pronounced since the UK joined the Common Market which is now the European Union. Farmers in Northern Ireland are all too aware of the recent changes there have been to the CAP.
"It is vital that the industry in Northern Ireland prepares itself now so we can make our voices heard where it matters and when it really matters in Brussels. What we need and require more than anything is clear transparent labelling of origin so that the consumer can be free to choose what he or she wants to buy. This is, in my view, the only way to protect ourselves against any future WTO deal and cheap imports from the Far East and South America."
Mr Parish said he was delighted to be in Northern Ireland to hear for himself the major issues facing dairy and sheep farmers at this time.
Commenting on the visit Mr Parish said: "I have recently hosted a hearing in the European Parliament on the issue of the Electronic Identification of sheep and was joined by farmers from across Europe in expressing our opposition to this crazy plan. I was pleased to visit a local sheep farmer to find out local views on the matter.
"I am well aware through Jim Nicholson that the dairy industry is experiencing major problems at the present moment in Northern Ireland with the milk price well below many other regions of the UK and Europe and was interested to hear the views of local dairy farmers on what can be done to help this struggling industry."
