GALWAY SHEEP INDUSTRY REACHES CRISIS POINT

Date Published: 01-Sep-2008

The sheep industry is at crisis point in Galway, according to local Independent MEP Marian Harkin.She's urging the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smyth to take drastic action to assist sheep farmers.MEP Harkin is blaming the crisis on high factory prices, fertiliser costs doubling, and an urgent need for a market price increase of at least 10 euro per lamb.She's also calling for the proposal of compulsory electronic tagging to be dropped, and special aids for hill sheep farmers to be provided.MEP Harkin is urging the Government to fully implement the 34 million euro programme they promised in May last year.