Smith to speak with EU over support for struggling sheep sector

THE European Union will be told by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith at a special conference in Limoges, France, today that it must give direct financial support to the troubled sheep sector.

“We see the opportunity for the EU to give support to strengthen the sector to enable it to deal with the many challenges out there and to grow and be put on a steady footing,” he said.

The conference, which has been convened by France, will be attended by industry representatives, farming organisations and ministers from the relevant member states with a particular interest in the sheep sector.