UUP MEP requests urgent meeting with new Agriculture Minister
Speaking this afternoon at the Balmoral Show, UUP MEP Jim Nicholson has confirmed that he has written to the new Agriculture Minister David Cairns MP to request an urgent meeting to discuss a range of issues of importance to the farming industry in Northern Ireland.
Mr Nicholson said that, “the Minister must begin immediately to get to grips with important problems such as planning policy, the farm nutrient management scheme, and the gold plating of EU rules, to name but a few. The agricultural industry in Northern Ireland needs the Minister’s full and undivided attention.
Mr Nicholson, joined Party Leader Sir Reg Empey MLA and the party’s agriculture spokesman Tom Elliott MLA this afternoon at the UUP’s information stall at the Balmoral show and also met with key stakeholders in the farming sector.
Party Leader Sir Reg Empey said, “The information stall has given Ulster Unionists an excellent opportunity to address the issues which are affecting the rural community and allowed us to present our recently published Rural Development Policy to the public.”
Mr Nicholson also said that he welcomed the strong showing from the Province’s poultry industry at the Balmoral Show and said that, “despite the threat of avian flu and the great distress this has caused those in the industry, I am delighted to see so many poultry farmers here today.”