FARMERS in North Yorkshire concerned about their industry's current plight were given two pieces of good news when they met a top Euro MP yesterday.

Edward McMillan-Scott told farmers that the European Commission had agreed two key decisions to help the industry.

One was to subsidise school milk to 75 per cent, rather than plans for 50 per cent, and the other involved labelling of beef, making clear its country of origin.

Mr McMillan-Scott, leader of Britain's Tory group in Europe, lunched with farmers at the Drovers Inn, Bishop Thornton, near Ripon. The pub became the focal point for the region's anti beef-on-the-bone ban campaign.

Amid nationwide publicity, the pub's landlord Chris Bowman had a beef-on-the-bone case against him dropped at York Crown Court following a battle by Nidderdale area farmers.

Mr McMillan-Scott said he and his colleagues had been pressing for action on the milk subsisdy and beef labelling for some time after concern from the farming community.

Thirty local farmers, some of them taking a break from silage making to meet the MEP, expressed concern about what they described as growing Brussels red tape.

Mr McMillan-Scott agreed there was too much red tape and pledged to continue to fight against its growth.

The meeting was arranged by Killinghall's Harrogate borough councillor Mike Bury, who played a key role in the campaign to get the beef-on-the-bone-ban lifted.

Coun Bury said he was delighted farmers had been able to meet the MEP face-to-face.

"The crisis in agriculture has not gone away and we have some farmers earning 50 pence an hour, that's how bad it is round here. Not surprisingly some of them feel they are on the way out," said Coun Bury.

After meeting farmers, Mr McMillan-Scott went walkabout in Hampsthwaite village, calling into the village store, the hairdresser's, post office and corner shop to talk about rural issues to villagers.

Coun Bury said farmers were pleased to hear about milk subsidies and more clearly defined meat labelling and had been assured the MEP would continue to try and secure an even higher profile for Britain's agricultural industry in Europe.

"It's a crisis in the countryside, but it's also having a knock-on effect in urban areas too," said Coun Bury.