THE SCALE of the crisis facing the Northern Ireland economy as a result of the BSE beef scare was "starkly illustrated in the King's Hall, Belfast, yesterday afternoon.

It was clear from the wide ranging representation at the venue, which in normal nightly circumstances houses the Riverdance show, that it is more than Northern farmers who face financial ruin.

Over 2,000 people attended the rally hosted by the Ulster Farmers' Union farmers, beef processors, hauliers, butchers, auctioneers, farm machinery sales to vets and others more indirectly affected all warning that if a solution is not found quickly they all face varying degrees of financial disaster. Several politicians, including Northern Ireland's three MEPs, sat shoulder to shoulder in economic solidarity.

Anger was focused on the British government Farmers carrying placards complained that as a result of Mr John Major's mishandling" of the crisis up to 20,000 jobs were threatened.

"Ulster Beef is Safe", declared the union's centre stage slogan. And on that the discussions concentrated, demanding that Northern Ireland beef not be classed as British beef. There was absolute unanimity on this.

Scores of farmers held aloft banners stating, "Ulster beef is safe the Blame Stops in England", and "Save Our Industry".

This was an economic issue where self interest rather than the political union counted.

One DUP politician privately acknowledged the double irony arising from the current crisis. "In the South I see that you lot are being very partitionist, with all those Irish soldiers closing off the Border," he said.

"Up here, though, when it comes to beef and BSE we don't want anything to do with the rest of the UK," he added.

The SDLP leader, Mr John "Hume said the BSE scare was the "greatest economic crisis in the lifetime of every one in this hall and in Northern Ireland".

He said there was no value at present in lobbying the British government. Real power and influence lay with the European Commission in Brussels.

All three MEPs and all the interests represented in the hall must travel as a united body to Brussels with the common objective of getting special status for Northern Ireland beef, Mr Hume proposed.

"We already have Objective One status in Europe, and we have a very powerful case to make," he said.

It was a proposal taken up by the DUP leader and MEP, the Rev Ian Paisley.

"We must go to the very top in Europe and hammer it home that we have a special case," he said.

Pressure must also be exerted on the British government to effect radical measures such as compensated culling of the beef herds.

"We must not be put out of business by a government that has brought about this calamity," said Dr Paisley.

Mr John Rankin, head of the Ulster Farmers' Union, said all the interests would take up Mr Hume's proposal as a matter of urgency.