Latest news with #NitratesActionProgramme
Agriland
13 hours ago
- Business
- Agriland
UFU: Impartiality 'extremely important' for NI NAP stakeholder forum
Everything is yet to be played for in developing a new Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) for Northern Ireland, according to Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) president, William Irvine. Speaking at this year's Clogher Valley Show, he said: 'We still have to see the terms of reference for the new stakeholder forum. 'The appointment of an independent chairperson will be extremely important within this process.' According to the UFU president, the direct appointment of a chair by Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir is not acceptable. Irvine added: 'Such an approach cannot be considered as being an impartial process. The farming and food industry stakeholder groups must have a role in the appointment of the chairperson, whose job it will be to drive forward the work of the new forum. 'Minister Muir says that he wants to see a new NAP agreed that will not harm the future prospects for food production. 'The UFU will be holding him to this commitment.' Irvine has also confirmed that getting key changes to the recently published UK finance bill will remain a key priority for the UFU during the period ahead. This legislative measure is the parliamentary vehicle through which the chancellor can introduce changes to Inheritance tax. The UFU president explained: 'We want to come up with a solution that meets the unique circumstances that confront farmers here in Northern Ireland. 'However, all the UK farming unions are at one on this fundamentally important matter.' According to Irvine, the union will make every effort to lobby politicians from all parties in the UK government on the inheritance tax issue over the coming weeks. It is anticipated that these measures will include a meeting with the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Meanwhile, an alternative inheritance tax proposal has been drawn up by the UK farming unions and the Central Association for Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). If implemented, proposal would see potential inheritance tax liabilities reduced by a seventh every year for seven years after an agricultural holding is passed on to the next generation as a working farm business. According to Irvine: 'It's an approach that would mean that no inheritance tax would be paid on land and assets that are retained as part of a working farm business. 'But at a more general level, the envisaged measure would act to draw in more tax for the exchequer than the proposals that are currently on the table.'
Agriland
7 days ago
- 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
7 days ago
- Politics
- Agriland
Heydon: 'Impactful measures' on water quality being developed for next NAP
Government officials are engaging with members of the the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group to "develop a list of impactful measures from a water quality perspective" for the next Nitrates Action Programme. That is according to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, who has confirmed that officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are currently working on the next NAP, which is due to apply from January 2026. Minister Heydon told the Dáil yesterday (Thursday, July 3) that Ireland's current NAP "introduced significant changes and is providing the strongest protections to date nationally for water quality from an agricultural perspective". However he was asked by the Cork North-Central TD, Pádraig O'Sullivan, if he was satisfied that the 6th NAP "would ensure no further erosion of the maximum organic manure limits from 220 kg N/ha". According to Minister Heydon the government has a twin objective of "improving water quality and retaining Ireland's nitrates derogation post-2025". "I am confident a combination of current and future measures under the NAP, combined with a continuation of the existing significant commitment and engagement by the entire agri-food sector will translate into improved water quality," the minister told Deputy O'Sullivan. Minister Heydon also told the Dáil that the latest water quality monitoring report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), published this week, showed a "significant reduction in nitrates levels in our rivers last year". The EPA's 'Water Quality Monitoring Report on Nitrogen and Phosphorous Concentrations in Irish Waters 2024' provides an update on the results of water quality monitoring to support the assessment of the impact of the nitrates derogation on Irish waters. However in the report the agency warned that 'nitrate concentrations remain too high in many parts of the country'. The EPA also acknowledged that there was a 10% national reduction in river nitrate concentrations during 2024, 'with reductions observed in all regions'. According to its analysis overall nitrogen levels in rivers also reduced nationally in 2024 compared to 2023. Minister Heydon has warned that "having a robust NAP in place, is an essential component in our case to justify continuation of our nitrates derogation". He said: "Along with my colleagues in government, I will continue to engage over the coming months with the objective of giving the commission the assurances it needs to justify granting a continuation of our nitrates derogation. "Ultimately the European Commission will decide the conditionality attached to that derogation, including that maximum permitted stocking rates. "However, in accordance with the Programme for Government, the government will continue doing everything in its power to make the case at EU level to secure the best outcome post-2025."
Agriland
7 days ago
- Politics
- Agriland
UFU: NAP stakeholder group must 'reflect views of farming families'
Northern Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, must be told exactly what farmers want from the new Nitrates Action Programme (NAP), according to Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) deputy president, Glenn Cuddy. Cuddy made the comments to Agriland as he attended the recent Castlewellan Show 2025. The UFU representative said: 'This can only be achieved by farmers fully participating in the current NAP public consultation. 'Once the consultation period is over, a stakeholder group will be established to assess the views that have been submitted. 'It's important this grouping comprises representatives of bodies that directly reflect the views of working farm families.' Cuddy believes that the work of the newly formed stakeholder forum will be subsequently ratified by a further public consultation process. He said: 'We have also emailed comprehensive guidance to farmers, which will help them submit their views on the current NAP public consultation in the most effective way possible.' The UFU leadership believes that the current NAP proposals represent a clear threat to farming businesses and rural communities. In the view of Cuddy, the proposals ignore the practical realities of farming, impose burdens that many farmers cannot meet, and threaten to cripple Northern Ireland's rural economy. He said: 'Our industry faces devastation from policies disguised as environmental safeguards, despite our farmers driving successful solutions for decades. "For the last 20 years, since NAP was first introduced, we have been implementing practices to improve water quality. 'The farming community have always acknowledged and supported this need.' Meanwhile, Minister Muir has confirmed that the ending of the initial NAP public consultation on July 24 will see officials within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) setting up a time-bound stakeholder task and finish group. This group will have an external facilitator and representatives from farming, agri-food, environmental groups plus DAERA. The minister explained: 'Working collaboratively and taking into account the consultation responses, plus any other potential solutions, the group will be asked to propose measures and actions that are evidence-based and workable at farm level within realistic timeframes, as well as meeting legislative requirements." It has been confirmed that, during this process, consideration will be given to the economic impact of these revised proposals and a draft economic impact assessment will also be prepared on the revised proposals. As a means of continuing the iterative process of engagement, a further eight-week public consultation will be carried out on the updated proposals and the draft economic impact assessment.
Agriland
7 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Last Minute Surge in Submissions to Nap Public Consultation
There has been a last-minute surge in submissions to the Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) public consultation taking place in Northern Ireland. A Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) spokesperson said: 'The number of responses received during this week has increased significantly.' The closing date for submissions was yesterday (Thursday, July 24). Recent days have seen the Ulster Farmers' Union encouraging every farmer in Northern Ireland to participate in the consultation. Northern Ireland's Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, has confirmed that a stakeholder forum, to be independently chaired will shortly assess the views expressed courtesy of the consultation over an eight-week period. This will be followed by a further public consultation process. The make-up of the stakeholder forum and the identity of the independent chair have yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, AgriSearch has published its initial assessment on the potential impact of the current NAP proposals across agriculture as a whole in Northern Ireland. Based on future phosphate loadings alone, the figures point to major losses being incurred in all situations According to the report, the losses will amount to £1.02 billion per annum under the 10kg/ha phosphate limit and £1. 56 billion per annum under the 8kg/ha limit. The findings indicate that the envisaged losses in each scenario will impact all sectors of agriculture . The report reveals that there would also be wider impacts on rural communities and businesses, with a strong risk of creating unintended social and environmental consequences. Jason Rankin, strategy manager at AgriSearch said: 'We fully recognise the importance of improving water quality and nutrient management. However, the findings of our analysis paint a stark picture of the potential consequences of current NAP proposals. "Without careful consideration of a full economic appraisal and industry input, the proposed environmental measures could inadvertently destabilise the very foundations of our rural economy and food supply chain. 'This evidence clearly points to the need for a more balanced, practical and fact-based approach combined with a full economic appraisal that protects the environment, the economy and rural livelihoods.' Professor Gerry Boyle, chair of AgriSearch said: 'This assessment underlines the critical role of ongoing, independent research in informing policy decisions that impact the entire agri-food industry and supply chain. "Evidence-backed policy making depends critically on having timely, accurate data that reflects the on-the-ground conditions.' Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) executive director, Michael Bell, has confirmed the significance of the AgriSearch figures. He said: "AgriSearch's report lays bare the economic chaos that would unfold if the current NAP proposal were implemented. 'The agri-food supply chain would lose over £1.56 billion per year, before factoring in the collapse of vital organisations, infrastructure and facilities that simply wouldn't survive under these reductions. 'At the same time, government policy is already contributing to the rising food prices, pushing inflation even higher." Bell stressed that while the food and drink industry supports environmental improvements, any measures must be grounded in evidence and through collaboration between government departments and industry. He said: "No one is arguing against the need for improved water quality, but it must be practical, science led and economically viable, without increasing inflation. 'NIFDA members are showing strong commitment to sustainability. "While there's no silver bullet: innovation, collaboration, a farmer centric model, and supportive government policies will be key to delivering the change that is needed.'
