Latest news with #FarmWelfareBill
Agriland
31-07-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Farmers for Action wants active role in new NAP stakeholder forum
Farmers for Action (FFA) has said that it wants to have an active role in a new Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) stakeholder forum that will be established in Northern Ireland. The new body will be set up by Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, over the coming weeks. The forum's role will be to develop a NAP strategy that comprehensively reflects the needs of the Northern Ireland's farming sector. It will be given a two-month period to finalise its deliberations. FFA had withdrawn from the previous discussions' process, hosted by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), in the run-up to the initial NAP public consultation. The farm lobby group is also confirming that it compiled a comprehensive policy statement on NAP, which was submitted to DAERA courtesy of the aforementioned consultation process. FFA's William Taylor told Agriland: 'We recognise how important it is to get the NAP issue resolved in ways that meet the needs of all the farming sectors in full.' FFA's NAP policy centres on the introduction of its proposed Farm Welfare Bill at Stormont. This would see all farmers in Northern Ireland receiving guaranteed and sustainable returns for their produce on a long term basis. Taylor said: 'The new NAP model must ensure that Northern Ireland uses all the nutrients produced on local farms first and foremost. 'Surpluses must be returned to the grain and oil seed supplying countries, such as Brazil, in the transport ships that bring in the three million plus tonnes of imported grain and oilseeds to Northern Ireland annually. 'The logistics are possible: they are not being implemented at the present time.' According to the FFA representative, this calculation alone puts Northern Ireland's surplus nutrients back into balance. 'At this point DAERA must accept the fact that only one third of Northern Ireland's farms have a connection to Lough Neagh," Taylor said. 'Recent years have seen these producers dramatically reducing the level of nutrient leakage from their farms. 'This leaves Northern Ireland Water and the Department for Infrastructure and other industries responsible for the remaining surplus nutrients.' FFA is also calling for all farmers to be adequately funded and supported when it comes to implementing the new nutrient management procedure agreed within the new NAP measures. Taylor added: 'The demand for food is obviously key within all of this. 'However, the supply system from Northern Ireland farms needs to change to deliver for the new NAP and, ultimately, the European Water Framework Directive. "
Agriland
06-06-2025
- Business
- 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.
Agriland
23-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
FFA requests meeting with NI agriculture minister on NAP
Farmers for Action (FFA) has requested a meeting with Stormont agriculture minister, Andrew Muir to discuss Northern Ireland's new Nutrient Action Programme (NAP). The organisation has welcomed the four-week extension to the public consultation, now underway, where the proposed suite of environmental measures are concerned. FFA spokesperson, William Taylor, told Agriland: 'We wrote to the minister with regard to NAP a number of days ago. Receipt of the letter has been confirmed.' According to Taylor, one third of Northern Ireland's active farmers are located within the Lough Neagh catchment area. He said: 'We will be making four main points to the minister. First of all, 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 businesses.' FFA is also calling for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to ensure that sufficient advisers 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 explained: '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.' Organic manure And, finally, FFA wants the policies implemented where the use of organic manures are concerned, to be totally overhauled. '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,' Taylor said. Significantly, FFA recognises that surplus quantities of farm manure are generated by agriculture in Northern Ireland. 'Solid materials, including poultry litter, can be exported back to those countries supplying the large tonnages of grain and other animal feed materials coming into Northern Ireland on an annual basis,' Taylor suggested. 'The boats delivering these grains in the first place can be used to export back the solid manures, on the basis that their cargo areas are suitable lined.' Taylor makes the point that countries like Brazil are short of organic manures needed to retain indigenous soil fertility basis. 'Receipt of the manures would ensure that countries like Brazil would be less likely to cut down virgin forest in order to maintain grain output levels. 'I see no reason why Brazil could not be asked to part fund the export of solid manures from Northern Ireland. 'Other financial contributors would include the members of the Northern Ireland's Grain Trade Association and the food processing sector,' Taylor said.
