SIR Patrick Mayhew, has rejected calls from farmers for Northern Ireland beef to be treated separately from British beef, writes Suzanne Breen.
"That would undermine the case for the UK as a whole. We want to overturn this quite unjustified ban for the whole of the UK," the Northern Secretary said yesterday.
The Ulster Unionist MEP Mr Jim Nicholson, said farmers were experiencing their worst problems in years. "The time for talking is past. The government has totally mishandled the situation. It is time to take positive measures to allay consumer fears."