Latest news with #FarmersforAction
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.
Agriland
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
FFA calls for end to ‘excessive red tape' in UK agriculture
Farmers for Action (FFA) has called for the deregulation of agriculture in the UK. But what does this mean in practical terms? 'It means that farmers will no longer be burdened with excessive red tape and the threat of penalties hanging over them all the time,' confirmed FFA spokesperson, William Taylor. 'There is obviously a need for fundamental regulations to be implemented at a nation-state level, where the likes of animal and plant health are concerned. 'And there is also a need for national government to uphold their international commitments. 'But what's not required is the spectre of government departments controlling every aspect of a farming business.' The FFA representative cited the outworking of Northern Ireland's new Nitrates' Action Programme (NAP) as a case in point. Taylor explained: 'We now have the prospect of the Department of Agriculture sending farmers phone notifications of pending extreme weather events throughout the slurry spreading season. 'These notifications will be accompanied with warnings, necessitating a halt to slurry spreading activities until normal weather patterns resume. 'And if farmers are found to be breaching these notifications, fines will follow.' According to the FFA spokesperson, this is nothing more than a Big Brother approach to farming. 'All farmers have enough common sense to know when they can and can't spread slurry,' Taylor said. 'But there is also an element of double standards coming into play here. The Department of Agriculture refuses to countenance the use of this weather warning approach during the current closed period for slurry spreading: from the middle of October through to the end of January.' Slurry spreading FFA representatives have long held the view that the impact of climate change ensures that the spreading of slurry can have a positive impact on plant growth throughout the year. Taylor said: 'This is particularly the case during the autumn period when slurry applied to stubble fields can be easily ploughed in. 'And, again, farmers are the people who know their own land best.' Taylor called for common sense to prevail in regard to situations like these. 'Farmers are the ultimate custodians of the countryside and will also work to preserve it. And it's up to government to further encourage all of this: not stymie it,' Taylor stated. 'It is time for the Northern Ireland Farm Welfare Bill to be put in place to have family farmers properly paid for their produce. 'In taking this approach, people would have money in their pockets to farm their farms the way they judge best, applying all common-sense environmental approaches. 'The end result will be a musical chairs of farming activity across Northern Ireland, which will be good for the economy, the environment, and tourism.'
Agriland
02-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
FFA: UK food security levels ‘now a national emergency'
Farmers for Action (FFA) spokesperson, William Taylor, has cited the absolute priority for food security levels in the UK to be increased. Taylor told Agriland: 'This issue now represents a national emergency. 'The latest figures indicate that food security levels in the UK are about to dip below 60%, with farmers in Northern Ireland providing 14% of this overall total.' Taylor attended the recent Save British Farming Press Day, held in London. The event saw a number of speakers highlight the dependency of Britain on food imports. Food security Taylor said: 'These supplies could be put at absolute risk in the event of future conflicts impacting on one or other of the world's food producing hubs. 'And we are already seeing this, up to a point, where Ukraine is concerned.' According to the FFA representative, enhanced levels of food security can only be achieved by putting real money in farmers' pockets. 'Government must act to ensure that farmers receive prices that cover their costs of production while also allowing them to invest in the future of their businesses,' he said. In Taylor's view, getting back to basics – from a land management perspective – will be at the core of a future commitment to enhance food output across the UK. 'There are vast tracts of land that would benefit from a combined liming, drainage and fencing programme. 'Steps of this nature were taken in the past: it's time to re-visit these issues again,' Taylor explained. FFA Alongside food security, the issue of food production standards also sits at the very heart of the myriad issues that FFA is campaigning on at the present time. And these matters have been further exacerbated by recent trade deals entered into by the UK government with a number of the world's food producing powers. According to the FFA spokesperson, there is now a growing perception that recent trade agreements involving the UK, Australia and New Zealand will trigger a domino effect. This will be centred on similar trade deals, which will allow for the dumping of low standard food imports on the UK public. 'The only way forward in these circumstances is for the UK to significantly enhance its indigenous levels food production. 'And this can be achieved if the proper support polices are put in place by the Westminster government. 'Currently, 13 family businesses are leaving the farming industry each day. And they are not being replaced,' Taylor stated.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Saints legend backs farmer protest as tractors lined up at St Mary's
Saints legend Matt Le Tissier backed a farmers' protest at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday ahead of the Premier League game against Newcastle. Around 14 tractors were lined up outside the stadium before the 3pm kick-off, as they rallied against Labour's inheritance tax changes. Le Tissier was spotted backing the Farmers for Action protest in a video posted on their Instagram account. In the video, the Saints legend said: 'I'm pretty disgusted in the way the government are treating farmers, there seems to be a real attack on them without realising that these people are what makes our food go round. No farmers no food, it's not a catch phrase. 'We don't want to be reliant on the plastic food that people are trying to flog us in supermarkets and I think it's about time farmers actually got paid a fair price for what they produce.' READ MORE: One sign on a tractor said: "RIP farmers, abolish the death tax." The farmers congregated along Bitterne Manor at about 11am, then peacefully protested outside St Mary's before dispersing shortly after arriving at 12.30pm. A reader said: "Lots of residents came out in support along the road. Looks like they met up with more tractors in the industrial estate before heading to St Mary's Stadium up the road." READ MORE: Daily Echo Camera Club member 'Definitelyblurredphotography' pictured the ten-plus tractors parked in the industrial estate next to the stadium. Farmers rallied outside St Mary's Stadium. (Image: Alfie House) In a video on X, protest organisers Farmers for Action said: "These are our British farmers. "Farmers for Action – football fans outside Southampton Football Club, everyone standing together. "Let's have a fair price for farmers and a fair price for all. Scrap the IHT. It's time the government listened." Police were present throughout the demonstration. Farmers gathered at protests across the UK as their campaign against the Government's inheritance tax reforms steps up. The National Farmers Union (NFU) staged a series of events as part of a so-called National Day of Unity, with farmers bringing food, tractors and livestock to town centres across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
