Farmers put partnership talks on hold

FARMERS have put their bilateral social partnership negotiations with the Government on hold pending a meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on proposed agricultural spending cuts.

But Macra na Feirme president Seamus Phelan told a weekend conference of the 8,000-member body in Kilkenny that despite the unhappiness of farmers with the estimates they had not "pulled out" of social partnership.

Much had been made of the adjournment of the talks on Thursday, when the farm organisations sought a meeting with the Taoiseach and Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy to discuss the estimates.