Nicholson urges Consumers to buy Local Pig and Poultry Produce First
In response to rising animal feed prices, Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has encouraged consumers in Northern Ireland to support local farmers by making the choice at the supermarket to buy local pig and poultry produce first.
Mr Nicholson also welcomed the emergency meeting held last night by the Ulster’s Farmer’s Union in Cookstown, which sought to highlight the issue and the grave crisis facing our pig and poultry producers.
In a statement Mr Nicholson said,
“Buying locally produced food is one way consumers in Northern Ireland can help to support our pig and poultry farmers who, because of huge increases in animal feed prices, are experiencing tough times at the minute. Supermarkets will also have to respond immediately to these worsening market conditions.
“Events on the global stage and at a local level are conspiring against the farming industry in Northern Ireland. The poor weather and flooding during the summer coupled with drought in some of the Southern Hemisphere countries and an increase in demand from the biofuel sector are driving feed prices through the roof and Europe’s zero tolerance approach to GMO produced grain is simply compounding matters further.
“As I warned last week, we have been used, over the past 20 years or so, to low food prices and the availability of an abundance of food within the EU but as the butter and Milk Mountains have melted away, what we could be left facing in Europe in the next 10 to 15 years is a real issue over food security.”