This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7893831.stm
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Farmers camp out for EU grants | Farmers camp out for EU grants |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hundreds of farmers have spent the night queuing outside eight government offices across Northern Ireland to apply for modernising grants. | Hundreds of farmers have spent the night queuing outside eight government offices across Northern Ireland to apply for modernising grants. |
| The EU rural development programme grants are designed to help improve animal welfare and farm efficiency. | The EU rural development programme grants are designed to help improve animal welfare and farm efficiency. |
| The £6m funding package will allow only 1,200 farmers to benefit from the maximum grant award, leaving thousands of farming families with nothing. | The £6m funding package will allow only 1,200 farmers to benefit from the maximum grant award, leaving thousands of farming families with nothing. |
| Some queued since Sunday lunchtime ahead of Tuesday's 0900 GMT opening. | |
| The modernising programme has six main aims: | The modernising programme has six main aims: |
| • To introduce new technologies and innovation;• To improve animal health and welfare;• To increase hygiene control and product storage;• To enhance occupational safety and business efficiency;• To increase energy efficiency; and• To enhance the environmental impact of farming techniques. | • To introduce new technologies and innovation;• To improve animal health and welfare;• To increase hygiene control and product storage;• To enhance occupational safety and business efficiency;• To increase energy efficiency; and• To enhance the environmental impact of farming techniques. |
| The farmers whose grant applications are successful will be able to buy from a government-approved list of items such as cow mattresses, creep feeders and computerised livestock identification systems. | The farmers whose grant applications are successful will be able to buy from a government-approved list of items such as cow mattresses, creep feeders and computerised livestock identification systems. |
| It is understood the Department of Agriculture will allow a number of postal applications to be picked at random from the many thousands which are expected to flood in, but the bulk of the grants will go to people who make it to the department's regional offices on Tuesday. | It is understood the Department of Agriculture will allow a number of postal applications to be picked at random from the many thousands which are expected to flood in, but the bulk of the grants will go to people who make it to the department's regional offices on Tuesday. |
| Farmers in Ballymena began queuing on Sunday afternoon, while by the afternoon there were large queues at offices in Coleraine and Dungannon. | |
| Queues also formed outside government offices in Newry, Armagh, Downpatrick, Enniskillen and Omagh. | Queues also formed outside government offices in Newry, Armagh, Downpatrick, Enniskillen and Omagh. |