TIME FOR FARMER WELFARE SCHEME

2.50.04pm GMT Thu 27th Sep 2007

The Liberal Democrats today called for a welfare scheme to provide sheep farmers with income from the small lambs that cannot not be exported to the usual markets of southern European.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defra Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"There is a real crisis for many hill farmers running out of grass who are unable to sell their lambs to the usual European or home markets.

"The Government should provide a welfare scheme to buy small lambs, possibly for cold storage, to release to the market when conditions are stable in future.

"At present, there are local markets where the price crashes simply because farmers cannot take their livestock away from them because of foot-and-mouth regulations. The price can be as low as 70p a kilo compared with £1.10 before the outbreak.

"A promotional scheme to encourage supermarkets to advertise lamb is not a substitute for a welfare scheme that operates at the farmers' market.

"Both Scotland and Wales are moving on this issue, but there are plenty of hill farmers in England just as badly affected and just as deserving of support. Defra needs to wake up and recognise its responsibility as the licensing authority of the laboratories that caused the outbreak."