[Castle Farm]

...in URUGUAY
British farmers were in uproar today after the European Union (EU) revealed the lavish payout was part of a scheme of development grants.

Hard working families in the UK will be expected to pick up a significant chunk of the bill, which will directly finance our farmers' competitors.

Uruguay raked in the generous grants despite boasting a lavish welfare state which funds extravagant pensions, healthcare and education for its 3.4million inhabitants.

The South American country has received 10.4million euros since 2007, landing a final £2.1million payment this year.

A large chunk of the money will fund the building of a state-of-the-art Sheep Technology Centre which will one day rival Britain's own farming industry.


Today a respected farmers' group blasted the payouts as "unacceptable" and said they represented a worrying conflict of interests.

A spokesman for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which represents British farmers, said: "At a time when the sheep meat production industry is looking for investment in research in Europe, it was unacceptable that EU money from member states is going out of the union to fund similar research in South America."

Uruguay produces about 10 per cent more lamb than the the UK, and now farmers fear the technology centre could help the Latin country to become a serious rival in the EU market.

According to its government website, the centre will provide "training, technical assistance, highly innovative products and services focused on the sheep industry to increase competitiveness" to Uruguayan farmers.

Representatives from the AHDB have now met with French counterparts to discuss their dismay at the payments.

Chairman Stuart Roberts said: "This is a time when funding vital research in the UK and Europe could not be more important.

"It is difficult to understand how it can be the right decision for funds from European counties to be given to Uruguay to fund research into developing a more competitive sheep meat production industry.

"Their meat production industry will then compete directly with European product on shelves in Europe and abroad.

"We would very much like an explanation so we can understand the rationale behind it, and so inform our own applications for European money to fund investment in our own sheep sector to the benefit of member states."

 GETTY

British taxpayers are funding sheep and beef farming in Uruguay
There are no plans in the EU's next budget, stretching from 2014-2020, to send any more development grants to Uruguay.

A spokesman for the European Commission, which was responsible for the payments, said that it was the South American country's government which chose to use the cash to build a new farming centre.

He said: "EU bilateral development aid for Uruguay is being ended.

"There has never been any direct funding allocated by the EU to the Centro Tecnologico Ovino.

"Earlier general support for innovation in Uruguay was agreed by EU Member States but has been discontinued."


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[Womble]

Uruguay produces about 10 per cent more lamb than the the UK

By land area Uruguay is roughly 25% smaller than the UK, and has a smaller population than Scotland. I certainly would never have guessed that they produce more lamb than we do!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I don't see why its up to the EU to fund them, maybe they want to improve uruguays income.

[verdifish]

Its called overseas Development,we do it ,Europe does it .

[pgkevet]

Its called overseas Development,we do it ,Europe does it .

Whatever it's called it's usually part of a package of trade deals, buying goodwill and (dare one say) a subtle form of bribery. rarely do we hear of the real truth behind such schemes and quite which pockets it ends up in. But then I'm a cynic.