Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP for Upper Bann, Carla Lockhart, has called on the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the Stormont Assembly to introduce grant funding to enable farmers to buy or upgrade generators in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn.
“Many of the farmers I spoke to, some of whom resided outside my constituency, were struggling to get cows milked because of the unprecedented damage to the province’s (Ulster) electricity network,” Lockhart said.
The Northern Irish MP said lessons must be learned, with weather patterns becoming more intense, urgent funding must be made available to assist farmers.
Lockhart is calling on the Stormont Assembly to fast-track a grant aid scheme to enable farmers to invest in generators. There is a similar scheme operating in the Republic of Ireland under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS III).
Lockhart said some farmers didn’t have a generator on their farm, while others were experiencing breakdowns and reliability issues with generators that hadn’t been routinely used or maintained.
“With more extreme weather events in recent times, and the devastation caused by Storm Darragh in December and Storm Éowyn at the end of January, it is crucial that farmers are prepared for future power outages,” she said.
“Farmers, especially those running dairy and poultry enterprises, are heavily reliant on electricity. It is vital that they plan ahead and are prepared for interruptions to the supply network.
“The storms wreaked havoc, leaving a trail of destruction and unprecedented challenges for the teams of engineers carrying out electricity restoration work. The government and UK power networks sent emergency back-up generators and specialist staff to Northern Ireland,” she added.
Lockhart said that a small amount of money within the departmental budget would make a tangible difference to numerous Northern Ireland farmers.
“Electricity is a vital resource, especially with the increasing reliance on automation and internet connections on farms,” she said.
