A Fine Gael MEP is urging her party colleagues – Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan – to assist farmers in the West who’ve been badly affected by poor harvest conditions.

Midlands-Northwest MEP Mairead McGuinness says farmers in many areas- including Mayo, Roscommon and Galway – have seen incessant rain which has derailed the harvest and resulted in sprouting of crops.

The difficult harvesting conditions come on top of poor grain prices this season, and Ms McGuinness says she has also raised the longterm concerns facing tillage farmers across Europe with the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee.

While acknowledging that there is no hardship fund immediately available in Europe to help Irish tillage farmers hit by the bad weather conditions, Mairead McGuinness has also urged Minister Michael Creed to respond to the hardship being experienced at ground level…