THE whys and wherefores of staying on the European Union - or voting to leave - were articulated to farmers at an event in Antrim's Dunsilly Hotel hosted by the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA) and Farmers For Action (FFA).
The north's three MEPs were invited to attend, with Jim Nicholson and Martina Anderson speaking on behalf of the 'Remain' camp, while the case to leave after the June 23 referendum was presented (in the absence of Diane Dodds) by Edwin Poots MLA and David Campbell.
Martina Anderson said the UK government's history of actions towards CAP in Brussels, where they have consistently wanted to reduce the CAP budget anyway, meant that leaving the EU would be "a huge leap of faith into the dark".
She urged those claiming that the border wouldn’t be a problem following a Brexit to "wake up", because the EU 27 will tell southern Ireland what they have to do with the new frontier between the EU and the UK.
Also on the remain side, Jim Nicholson claimed that the UK would be stronger in Europe and that those involved in agriculture should not take their decision lightly before assessing the facts, and he questioned if the UK government was going to replace the CAP budget, which back in 1989 was set at 40 per cent of the EU total .
"I want to stay in the EU but I also want to fight for change within," he said. "I understand why people kick back but don’t think for one minute the alternative is going to be rosy."
David Campbell from the Vote Leave campaign claimed David Cameron "didn’t get a fig leaf of concessions from Brussels".
He said he believed the origins of the EU were okay, but with enlargement the original ethos was lost.
Edwin Poots referred to issues such as immigration, endless red tape affecting the lives of everyday farmers, scare stories about trade tariffs and consumers paying more, but assured farmers that "Cameron will have to give us subsidies if we leave".
"Leaving will give us more control. In 40 years' time the EU will be the same, and if you think interference is bad today, wait till you see what’s coming," he said.
The meeting was compered by NIAPA chairman Michael Clarke and FFA UK regional co-ordinator William Taylor, who express their appreciation to the political representatives in attendance and to those in the audience who took time out of their busy rural schedules to listen to both sides of the argument and contribute to a lively question-and-answers session.
