Livestock Difficulties In Argyll And Islands Back
UK - The lack of slaughtering facilities and the impact of the recent Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak were raised by representatives of NFU Scotland’s Argyll and the Islands Regional Board when it met recently with local politicians, Alan Reid MP and Jim Mather MSP.
7 September 2007
2 minute read
Also on the agenda were the impact of increased feed prices and the lack of control over food imports.
NFU Scotland’s Argyll and the Islands Regional Manager, Lisa Webb, said:
“NFU Scotland’s meetings with our local politicians are crucial. The lack of local slaughter facilities remains a real problem and we need commitment from many people, including parliamentarians, to help move things on. Local farmers cannot keep travelling great distances to their nearest mainland slaughterhouse in the central belt.
“Any existing difficulties for the livestock industry have been quite seriously compounded by this summer’s Foot and Mouth outbreak. Sheep prices were already bad and high feed prices are having a significant and detrimental impact. NFU Scotland is still pushing the UK Government for a relaxation in transport working time rules to allow hauliers to help ease the backlog of livestock that built up while the movement restrictions were in place.
“The issue of the lack of control over food imports is still high on the agenda. NFU Scotland’s lobbying in the EU, Westminster and Holyrood on this issue has been rigorous and we remain adamant that cheap imports, which do not meet EU standards on welfare and hygiene and yet undermine Scottish farmers’ viability, must be addressed.
“We have continued calls to the Scottish Government to ensure that LFA payments, which are so crucial to the area, are made as soon as possible.”
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