logo
Ulster Farmers Union ‘not ruling out legal action' over proposed Nutrients Action Programme

Ulster Farmers Union ‘not ruling out legal action' over proposed Nutrients Action Programme

The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) has said it is not ruling out potential legal action over a proposed Nutrients Action Programme.
Officials from the representative body said its president William Irvine led a delegation during a 'robust' meeting with Stormont Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir on Tuesday raising 'serious concerns' about the proposals.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Farmers for Action withdraws from NAP discussions
Farmers for Action withdraws from NAP discussions

Agriland

time6 hours ago

  • Agriland

Farmers for Action withdraws from NAP discussions

Farmers for Action (FFA) has withdrawn from all official discussions relating to a new Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) for Northern Ireland. A delegation from the organisation walked out of an official NAP stakeholder meeting at which Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) officials were in attendance earlier this week. FFA spokesperson, William Taylor said: 'The current NAP review process is not fit for purpose. We have made it clear to DAERA officials that we will not engage with the process until such times as fundamental changes in its structure are implemented.' Significantly, FFA has requested a meeting with Minister for Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir, to discuss the ways in which a new NAP can best be developed for Northern Ireland. Taylor said: 'We have yet to receive an official response on this matter.' NAP public consultation Meanwhile, FFA is indicating that it may still participate in the NAP public consultation. 'But this would only be on the basis of the farm minister fundamentally changing its structure,' stressed the FFA representative. 'First off, his department must adequately support all farming businesses regarding the final NAP measures that are implemented. 'In practical terms, this means introducing FFA's proposed Farm Welfare Bill. This has been designed to guarantee farmers sustainable prices on an ongoing basis allied with the capability of further investing in their business.' FFA is also calling for the Department of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to ensure that sufficient advisors are made available to work with farm businesses on an individual basis when it comes to the calculation of phosphate and nitrate loading levels across production agriculture. Taylor commented: 'The principle of DAERA being used as an enforcement agency in the first instance is fundamentally flawed. 'It is the job of department officials to work with farmers, advising them how to reach whatever NAP targets are agreed in a co-ordinated manner. 'These are matters which can only be addressed in the long term: there is no short-term fix. And this fundamental fact must be realised by DAERA.' And finally, FFA wants the policies implemented where the use of organic manures are concerned to be totally overhauled. Taylor said: 'In the first instance, there are large tracts of agricultural land across Northern Ireland that would actually benefit from an application of slurry. 'And this fundamental fact must be recognised by Minister Muir.' FFA also wants to see the export of the surplus manures produced in Northern Ireland to Brazil and other Mercosur countries. This is based on the rationale that grain and animal feed stuffs imported from South America are contributing to Northern Ireland's water quality challenge in the first place.

NI agri minister launches bill to tackle dilapidation
NI agri minister launches bill to tackle dilapidation

Agriland

time8 hours ago

  • Agriland

NI agri minister launches bill to tackle dilapidation

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, Andrew Muir, has welcomed Stormont Executive approval to bring forward the Dilapidation Bill to the Assembly. The Bill aims to provide district councils with a modern, consistent, fit-for-purpose Northern Ireland-wide enforcement regime to deal with the negative impact of dilapidated and dangerous buildings, as well as neglected sites. The Bill reflects the powers already available to enforcement bodies in the rest of the UK. It will also significantly enhance the cost recovery powers available to councils, making the option of them carrying out the relevant works themselves much more viable. Minister Muir said: 'We can all see the problems with dilapidated buildings and neglected sites across Northern Ireland, which are a blight on our neighbourhoods that can pose an unacceptable danger to the public. 'People should be able to take pride in their local area, but when buildings are left to deteriorate, it is the entire community that suffers the consequences. 'The Dilapidation Bill will seek to address this problem, ensuring local people can live and work in attractive neighbourhoods and benefit from the associated investment in an area that can come as a result,' he added. The Bill would empower councils to issue a range of enforcement notices to require owners, occupiers and others with a relevant interest to take appropriate remedial action to deal with dilapidation and neglect. It also allows councils to take such action itself, where required, and recover its costs from the relevant person. It is currently envisaged that the Dilapidation Bill be introduced to the Assembly before the summer recess.

Agri-politics to the fore at Ballymena Show 2025
Agri-politics to the fore at Ballymena Show 2025

Agriland

timea day ago

  • Agriland

Agri-politics to the fore at Ballymena Show 2025

The current cut and thrust of agri-politics in Northern Ireland was very much a talking point at Ballymena Show 2025. The days running up to the event had seen large numbers of farmers expressing their opposition to the latest Nutrient Action Plan (NAP) proposals, unveiled in May by Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir. Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) deputy president, John McLenaghan, spent the day at the Ballymena Show, where Agriland spoke to him about the proposed revisions to the NAP. McLenaghan said: 'NAP is all about improving water quality. And farmers across Northern Ireland totally buy into this principle. 'In fact, they have already achieved significant improvements where this matter is concerned over recent years. 'However, the current NAP proposals are unworkable. More than that, Minister Muir failed to liaise properly with all the relevant stakeholder groups prior to the commencement of the current public consultation. According to the UFU deputy president, this is a 'fundamentally flawed' approach. 'What's required now is for the minister to go back to the drawing board and develop a set of realistic NAP proposals with all the farming bodies and stakeholder groups,' he said. 'By taking this approach, it will be possible to come up with realistic solutions that everyone can agree on.' Ballymena Show 2025 competition classes Beef classes As is always the case, the show rings at Ballymena were graced by large numbers of elite dairy stock, beef cattle, and sheep. Deerpark Shakiraenjoyed a superlative showing career as a young pedigree Limousin heifer. And it seems that she is continuing where she left off as a young cow. She entered the show ring at this year's Ballymena Show with her October 2024 bull calf, Shakira Viking,at foot – looking every bit the champion. And so it turned out. Shakira won the Limousin breed championship in the morning, going on to secure the Ballymena 2025 Inter-Breed Beef championship later that afternoon. She was exhibited by Connor and Ryan Mulholland, from Co. Antrim. Noted Simmental and Limousin breeder, Cecil McIlwaine, judged the inter-breed beef classes at the event. McIlwaine said: 'The winning animal has got everything: great length, shape, and overall beef character. 'And the fact that the young cow has a calf at foot adds to the appeal.' But there were plenty of other high class pedigree animals taking part in the beef classes scheduled for Ballymena Show 2025. 'The Simmental champion is another exceptional young cow in the making. And the fact that she has twin calves at foot, again, adds to her appeal,' McIlwaine said. This year's Ballymena Simmental championship was won by Ballinalare Farm Nikita,exhibited by Alan Wilson from Newry. Dairy classes Meanwhile, the competition in the dairy rings was equally strong at Ballymena. The Dairy Pairs' champion team at Ballymena Show 2025 The Dairy Inter-Breed Championship was won by Stewartstown breeder, Jason Booth with his eye-catching Holsteinfourth calver: Beechview Hurricane Primrose EX93. Jason said: 'She produced 12,500L of milk in her last lactation at 5.6% butterfat and 3.4% butterfat. 'The cow calved for the fourth time last December and is due to calve again later in November.' Primrose is homebred and continues to perform tremendously well. Philip Jones from Co Wexford judged the dairy inter-breed classes at Ballymena Show 2025. He described his Holstein champion as an excellent example of the Holstein breed. 'The cow has tremendous dairy character. This includes a tremendous mammary system in tandem with tremendous locomotion,' Jones said. 'The overall quality of the dairy stock entered for this year's show was exceptional.' Sheep at Ballymena 2025 An exceptional entry of 800 sheep took centre stage at Ballymena Show 2025. And the man with the immense task of judging them all was Alan McCalymont, from Scotland. Glenn Baird, from Armagh, won the Sheep Inter-Breed Championship and the Ram Lamb Inter-Breed Championship at Ballymena Show 2025 At the end of a very long day's keen competition, McCalymont selected a Charollais ewe from the flock of the Co. Armagh breeder, Glenn Baird, as his Inter-Breed Champion. McCalymont explained: 'The ewe is a tremendous example of her breed. She looked an absolute picture in the ring.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store