See pages 4 & 5

PICTURE: Pacemaker
UUP LEADERSHIP A
THREE-WAY BATTLE
SEE PAGE 8
The pride of Northern Ireland
Price: 75p (IR 1.05 EURO) Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A former Taoiseach told
Gardai that the murder
by the IRA of 18 soldiers
at Narrow Water in 1979
(pictured right) was
political and that no help
should be given to the
RUC in the matter, it has
been claimed.
A former RUC deputy
assistant chief constable
made the claim yesterday
while giving evidence to
the Smithwick Tribunal in
Dublin.
Taoiseach
blocked
Narrow
Water
probe
Since 1737
www.newsletter.co.uk



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All the latest
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PAGES 9-14
Pictures and reports
from the YFC
PAGE 15-18 Draft law would see an end to import ban
Members from the Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) attended a cross community event which was organised by the Rural Enabler
Programme in conjunction with YFCU and GAA on Saturday, March 10 at Corrymeela, Ballycastle. Pictured are Danielle Lynch, Thomas
Gordon, Martyn Blair, YFCU deputy president, Christopher McLaughlin, Tara ONeill and Orla Black, Rural Community Enabler Programme.
PICTURE: STEVEN MCAULEY/KEVIN MCAULEY PHOTOGRAPHY MULTIMEDIA
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Cush n your
crops...!
Sell your struw n
ClussIeds
Kmul lneuge to clussIed@IurmnglIe.com
US could reopen
to British beef
A DRAFT law published in the United States could pave the way for the ban on beef imports from the European Union to be lifted and reopen the lucrative American market to local producers. A ban was placed on imports of EU beef in 1997 due to the BSE crisis, however this draft law, which has been published in Washington, would move to align US import conditions with the World Organisations for Animal Health (OIE) standards. News of the draft law has been warmly welcomed by many in the industry including agriculture minister Michelle ONeill, who is currently in Philadelphia. Minister ONeill said: I am very encouraged by the news that steps are being taken to lift the beef ban which has been in place for far too long. Our beef industry has proven itself to be robust and has had to invest heavily to rebuild markets and secure new business over the past decade whilst the ban has been in place. The red meat industry in the north is now worth over 800 million to the local economy, with the red meat processing sector employing
3,300 people. This move has the potential to reopen the huge US market for our local beef farmers which can only help the sector grow further, she added. The National Beef Association, which recently held its successful Beef NI event at Dungannon, said it was optimistic and encouraged but recognised that there would be no immediate change as the draft law would have to make its way through the American legislative process. Joanne Pugh, NBA assistant director, also confrmed that the development was further recognition of the high standard of UK meat. She explained: Its not just that the USA would be an interesting new export market for British beef, its the acknowledgement by yet another country that beef from the UK is some of the safest and highest quality anywhere in the world. With BSE long behind us, more and more export certifcates are being signed. In fact 37 non-EU countries opened their doors last year alone, so the USA will join a long list of countries that have acknowledged what the UK has to offer in terms of traceability, high welfare standards, environmental credentials and taste. With beef supplies tightening all the time,
we are operating on an increasing global platform. The more countries we can export to the wider our portfolio of products sold and carcases utilised, which can only be good news for farmers in the UK. The Ulster Farmers Union deputy president Harry Sinclair described the news as very exciting. Mr Sinclair said: The US has published a new draft law that would align US bovine import conditions with the World Organisations for Animal Health (OIE) standards on BSE, therefore creating the potential to allow the UK and Ireland to resume exporting beef and veal. This is very exciting news and has the potential to open up new export prospects for Northern Irelands beef industry. If the bill is passed, Northern Ireland will have an excellent opportunity to grow our red meat sector further and to promote our high quality, grass-fed prime beef products on a global scale. The move by the US government recognises the long standing efforts of the EU beef industry to tackle BSE and will also go some of the way to help to remove the stigma attached to EU beef in the eyes of the American consumer. Mr Sinclair added that the draft law will now be subject to a consultation period of 60 days and the UFU will continue to monitor the situation closely.
BY ANDREW CROMIE andrew.cromie@farminglife.com
INSIDE
Ulsters Rangers fans urged to help save club SEE SPORT
Killer McArdle to
quit Stormont role
BY PHILIP BRADFIELD
p.bradfeld@newsletter.co.uk
A CONVICTED IRA
murderer who is acting as a
special adviser to a Sinn Fein
Stormont minister is to step
down after months of public
criticism, it was revealed last
night.
Sinn Fein Culture Minister
Caral Ni Chuilin appointed
Mary McArdle, who was
sentenced to life following her
involvement in the murder of
Mary Travers, 23, in 1984. Ms
Travers was shot in the back
by the IRA as she left Mass in
south Belfast with her father,
Judge Tom Travers, who was
seriously injured.
The victims sister Ann
has campaigned against Ms
McArdles appointment,
saying that it renewed her
familys grief to see Ms
McArdle, pictured, in such
a well-paid taxpayer-funded
job, yet refusing to come clean
on who else was involved in
her sisters murder.
Turn to page 12
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