Northern Ireland’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has highlighted the role that crop production plays from a food production and environmental perspective.
Minister Andrew Muir gave the keynote address at the 13th Annual Arable Conference, recently hosted in partnership by the Ulster Arable Society (UAS), the College of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (CAFRE), and the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU).
Tillage production accounts for approximately 5% of Northern Ireland’s farmed area (31, 800ha), producing an annual output valued at around £86M.
The Minister confirmed the inherently low carbon footprint of crop production relative to livestock enterprises.
He wants to see both arable farming and horticultural production develop further, both as centres of food production and key contributors to the north’s overall response to the challenge of climate change.
Making this happen will require action to be taken on a number of fronts.
These include the development of more efficient crop rotation systems and the greater use of slurries and organic manures as arable fertilisers.
An emphasis on the growing of cover crops will also be required, as they can reduce nutrient leaching from tillage soils during winter months, while also improving water quality.
Minister Muir also confirmed that his department officials will work to ensure that issues relating to the future use of pesticides will be addressed in a fair and equitable manner.
He added, “Going for growth only is not the priority. I am confident that all the farming sectors can work to achieve a sustainable future, both from an economic and environmental protection perspective.”
The minister strongly believes that the recently announced Framing with Nature Programme will be a game changer across agriculture as a whole in Northern Ireland.
He envisages all the land used for farming purposes being made eligible for the new scheme. He views the programme as having the potential to deliver new enterprises for many farming businesses.
Minister Muir further explained, “Farming is key to the improvement of the environment in Northern Ireland, across the board.”
Additional information regarding the new programme will be made available at this year’s Balmoral Show.
Turning to other issues, Minister Muir said he disagreed totally with the decision taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to include farm land within the scope of the UK’s inheritance tax measures.
He added, “Farm families in Northern Ireland will be disproportionately impacted by the new measure.”
