Beef farmers to march on army barracks in food war

The Ministry of Defence has angered farmers by not buying their beef to feed the Army. So the farmers will not let soldiers train on their land. And, says Nicholas Schoon, Environment Correspondent, they are marching on barracks, with their cattle.

Welsh farmers are so angered by the Ministry of Defence's refusal to consider buying more British beef that some have refused to let the Army train on their land. A group of them also plan to march in protest to the Brecon Barracks in Powys today, taking several of their cattle with them from the town's livestock market.

Most of the beef purchased for the armed forces is frozen, and it comes mainly from the Antipodes and South America, including Britain's former- enemy, Argentina. All the purchasing is done through a large food and farming company, Bookers, which claims that a buy-British-beef policy would cost about pounds 1m a year more. The MoD says value for money is all important.

But the farmers are infuriated by the ministry's refusal to reconsider, at a time when market prices for their beef and lamb are as low as half what they were a year ago.

In North Ceredigion, near Aberystwyth, more than 10 farmers have now refused to let the Army train on their land, the National Farmers' Union Welsh deputy director, Malcolm Thomas, said. He expects more to join them. He said: "There has always been a close working relationship to allow the Army to train on our land, but now many of our members are now fighting for their financial survival.

"The bald refusal to consider buying more British beef is the last straw. Jack Cunningham [the Minister of Agricultural] says our beef is now the safest and best in the world. Why can't our fighting men have it?"

Arwyn Davies, chief executive of the Wales Young Farmers' Clubs, which is organising the Brecon march, said buying home-grown beef made more sense than emergency government aid to the beleaguered industry. "That would start to get the market moving again; trade is more useful than aid."

A spokesman for the MoD said the loss of training facilities was regrettable, and exercises would have to replanned. "But our policy is to seek best value for money - we don't specify the source of the beef."