Stalker was heartened to hear Northern minister for agriculture Bríd Rodgers state unequivocally that she would be pursuing Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Rural Affairs, on the question of creating a level playing field on the island of Ireland for the mushroom industry. Stating that she would plead the case - and indeed she said she already had-directly to the Minister in Westminster on the subject of securing equal grant status for the northern sector, she also cautioned that due to the belt-tightening that is already happening, nothing could be promised in advance. Growers can take some heart from the knowledge that inequalities on the grant question are at least being discussed at Executive level, even though banking on any influx of monies would be foolish.
