All the political parties in Northern Ireland are on the same page regarding the future funding requirements of farming and production agriculture.
This is the message from the new chair of Stormont’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee, Robbie Butler MLA.
“The matter was recently discussed at the [Stormont] Assembly with all parties endorsing the need for farmers to secure a sustainable funding package into the future, one that is fully inflation-linked into the future,” he told Agriland.
“Agriculture remains at the heart of Northern Ireland’s economy. And this fundamental fact must be fully recognised.”
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MLA hails from the town of Lisburn in Co. Antrim. He does not have a farming background, but as a former butcher he recognises the value of the meat products produced in Northern Ireland.
“I am fully aware of just how important the livestock sectors are to farming as a whole,” he continued.
“And this fundamental fact was brought home to me a few years ago when significant quantities of Brazilian beef were coming into Northern Ireland.”
Farming
Butler is particularly keen on finding ways to encourage as many young people as possible to come into production agriculture.
“Farming must be made an attractive career option,” he stressed.
“And this means delivering realistic prices at the farm gate, now and into the future. Farmers of all ages must be allowed to generate sustainable incomes from their businesses.
“Northern Ireland enjoys a unique environment within which to produce food of the highest quality. And this potential must be allowed to fully develop on a sustainable basis into the future.”
Animal welfare is an issue that also resonates with the AERA chair. This priority will shape his views on the future bovine tuberculosis (bTB) policies that are implemented in Northern Ireland.
A bTB policy review is to be published by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) chief veterinary officer, Brian Dooher, over the coming weeks.
Fundamentally, Butler said he does not want to see unnecessary suffering inflicted on any animal.
“It makes sense to have policies implemented that recognise the need to eradicate TB within both our cattle and badger populations.
“It makes no sense at all to have TB-infected badgers suffering a very painful death. This is not a very welfare friendly approach to the issue, in my opinion,” the MLA concluded.
