Farmers ask for Government help

Wednesday, 1 September 2004 12:00 AM

The National Farmers Union (NFU) will today ask the Government to help arable farmers hit by the rainy weather.

It claims that in extreme cases some farmers have had to completely abandon this year's crop.

Provisional results from the Met Office indicate that it has been the wettest summer since 1912, but that specific areas such as the Midlands, northern and eastern England and parts of Scotland have had around double their usual August rainfall.

100 flash weather warnings were issued across the UK this August.

The unseasonal weather has meant that farmers in many areas have been unable to harvest their crops, and those which can be harvested will be of a lower quality, so will end up being used as animal feed.

Last week the Government's rural affairs adviser, Lord Haskins, warned that the financial implications of the wet August could be more devastating that the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak - particularly as there is no compensation available.

In response, NFU deputy president Peter Kendall said whilst he welcomed the recognition of the current problem "it is too early to equate the current difficulties with the enormity of the foot and mouth outbreak.

"There is still a window of opportunity open to us if all stakeholders pull together. As representatives of farming as a modern responsible business, the NFU is not calling for compensation at this stage, but we are urging farmers to help one another and the Government to join Lord Haskins in recognising the difficulties we are currently facing."

Today, NFU representatives are to meet with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs officials to lobby for Government assistance.

Among the measures being suggested are for the Government to bring forward the payment of European subsidies, which are normally paid later in the year, to help ease the cash-flow issues.

In addition, the farmers are reiterating calls for the Chancellor to further delay the inflation increase in diesel fuel duty. This has already been postponed once due to the uncertainty in the world oil market.

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