THE Government is being urged by farming unions to apply for more European aid to help hard-pressed British farmers.
Compensation now available to be claimed by the Government is estimated at £202m; this covers livestock, dairy and arable farmers. The appeal is being made jointly by the National Farmers' Union and it counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This agrimonetary compensation requires match funding from the Government which has until April to claim it.
"The Government can no longer provide a convincing excuse as to why it should turn its back on this European assistance that is so desperately needed," said NFU president Ben Gill.
The agrimonetary scheme was set up by the EU to offer transitional relief to farmers in countries outside the euro and where support payments are devalued by poor exchange rates. The scheme is to close at the end of this year.
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