HUNDREDS of beef, sheep and dairy farmers from across the North West are expected to attend a top crisis meeting next Tuesday.
The meeting, at Haslingden Cricket Club at 7.30pm, has been called by the National Farmers' Union to address the economic crisis facing the livestock sector.
Speaker Les Armstrong, vice-chairman of the NFU's livestock committee, will call for measures to improve the sheep market and beef exports, the reduction of meat hygiene charges and cattle passport charges.
David Clarke, of the NFU's milk committee, will discuss the recent report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission into the sale of raw milk.
An NFU spokesman said: "Average farm incomes are down 75 per cent on two years. Calves can't be sold, the sheep market has collapsed, dairy farmers are being squeezed dry and the Government still thinks it can load extra costs on to producers which foreign competitors do not have to pay."
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