A political vacuum now exists at the heart of farming in Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) permanent secretary Katrina Godfrey has warned.
Speaking at the 2022 Agri-Food and Biosciences (AFBI) science outlook conference, Godfrey underlined the pivotal role that politicians must play in delivering a climate change solution that fully embraces the needs of farming and food in Northern Ireland.
The DAERA permanent secretary also voiced her hopes that political equilibrium will be restored at Stormont as quickly as possible.
The Northern Ireland Assembly failed to restore devolution last month and as result all ministers including, the former agriculture minister Edwin Poots, had to step down from office which created a political vacuum.
Godfrey told conference delegates that Northern Ireland now has its own Climate Act. And the climate change-related targets laid down within the legislation must be met.
She outlined that specifically, agriculture in Northern Ireland must reach a net carbon zero position by 2050. However, in the shorter term, greenhouse gas emission levels must be reduced by 48% up to 2030.
The DAERA permanent secretary also stressed the importance her department is now placing on science and delivering a cohesive response to the challenge of climate change.
Godfrey said this will entail action on three broad fronts;the delivery of new science, the speeding-up of innovation and greater collaboration between all stakeholder groups operating within the farming and food sectors.
She also specifically highlighted the role that will be played by Northern Ireland’s Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) in allowing the farming sector to meet their climate change targets.  The permanent secretary said based on initial applications received it is expected that there will have been a 92% uptake for this scheme.
DAERA has invested €45 million in SNHS. Farmers who participate in the scheme receive detailed information on managing soil nutrients and farm carbon.
It will also be a requirement for farmers to have participated in the SNHS if they wish to receive payments under future farm support schemes that may be introduced in Northern Ireland.
Dr. Stanley McDowell, AFBI chief executive, also addressed the conference where the key theme in 2022 was ‘Carbon and Beyond’.
He said that climate change will represent a significant challenge for farming in Northern Ireland but that it will also present a number of new and important opportunities for the sector.
McDowell made clear that securing high levels of efficiency is now a key target for agriculture.
He said where livestock is concerned, improving animal health and welfare standards will be a key priority for all farming businesses.
