The chair of Stormont’s agriculture committee, Tom Elliott, has called for Northern Ireland’s farm support budget to be inflation-proofed, with this process back dated to 2012.
In addition, he wants the future support budget to contain an additional increment, covering the rural development funding that was previously available to Northern Ireland, courtesy of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
“The direct farm support budget in Northern Ireland has been fixed at around £325 million for the past decade and more.
“If this figure is re-aligned to take account of inflation for the past 10 years, the sum of money involved exceeds £400 million.
“Factoring-in the loss of the rural development funding adds another 15% to this total,” Elliot said.
The agriculture committee chair also highlighted the need for Westminster to commit to a long-term support package for agriculture in Northern Ireland.
“Five years is the bare minimum of a timescale that is required – a 10-year commitment would be preferable,” he added.
Farm support budget
There is no agreed farm support package available to agriculture in Northern Ireland at the present time.
Stormont Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, will be tasked with the challenge of sorting this matter out with the new Labour government in London later in the autumn.
Meanwhile, Minister Muir met recently with members of the Stormont agriculture committee.
“I was disappointed with what he had to tell us, particularly where bovine tuberculosis is concerned,” Elliot continued.
“The minister has yet to come up with a definite policy on this critically important issue. He has called for a number of reviews to be carried out, looking into this matter.
“But the clock is ticking. So, hopefully, we will get a definite perspective from the minister during the autumn period.”
The minister indicated to agricultural committee members that he had no plans to reduce tuberculosis compensation rates at the present time.
“This is in light of the responses received to a recent public consultation on the matter.
“However, the minister said that he will be keeping the matter under review. This means he could still act to reduce farmer compensation rates at some future stage,” Elliot continued.
The public consultation on tuberculosis compensation rates had been initiated by Northern Ireland’s former secretary-of state, Chris Heaton-Harris.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has confirmed that it will fight tooth and nail to retain full animal compensation values for those livestock farmers impacted by bovine tuberculosis.
