Latest news with #UlsterFarmersUnion
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
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.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
CAFRE Enniskillen campus gears up for Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend
CAFRE Enniskillen Campus will welcome pre-registered school groups on Friday, June 13, and will open to the public on Saturday, June 14 from 10:30am to 4pm for the Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend. Visitors can enjoy a range of family-friendly activities including self-guided farm tours, horse and machinery displays, seed planting, countryside games, farrier and beekeeping demonstrations, a treasure hunt, and a fun farm quiz. Organised by the Ulster Farmers' Union, with Bank of Ireland as the title sponsor, alongside platinum sponsor NFU Mutual, retail sponsor Asda, and event partners Livestock & Meat Commission NI, Pilgrim's Europe, Thompsons and the Irish Farmers Journal, the event aims to help the public - especially those from non-farming backgrounds - to better understand how our food is produced and highlight the importance of the local supply chain. This year's event will also spotlight the role farmers play in the community, the heritage of farming, diversification, and the nutritional benefits of locally produced food. Each participating farm, including CAFRE Enniskillen Campus, is a working or family farm not normally open to the public. On public open days, visitors receive a free behind-the-scenes pass to witness firsthand the care and dedication involved in food production. There's also the chance to meet the farmers and, on some farms, taste or purchase local produce - reinforcing the value of supporting your community by buying local. For full event details of participating farms and opening times, visit
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Farmers say NI pollution proposals 'out of touch'
Farmers have said plans to reduce water pollution as a result of agricultural activity are "out of touch" with the reality of agriculture. Northern Ireland's long-overdue Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) for 2026-29 has been published for consultation. Many of the proposals are linked to the Lough Neagh Action Plan. Making low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) mandatory and placing restrictions on the use of phosphorus fertiliser are among recommended revisions. President of the Ulster Farmers' Union, William Irvine, said it was "deeply concerning" the proposals from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) "lean heavily" towards enforcement and regulation rather than education, incentives or collaboration with farmers. "Farmers are not shying away from their responsibilities," he said. "For the last 20 years, since NAP was first introduced, we have been implementing practices to improve water quality. "We fully recognise the need to protect and improve water quality, but it must be done in a way that's balanced, fair and grounded in the day-to-day realities of farming in NI. "The proposals within NAP reflect a clear disconnect with local agriculture and fail to deliver what's truly needed." Daera said it was "widely recognised that the intensification of agricultural production has had negative impacts on the environment". Daera Minister Andrew Muir said action was needed to improve water quality and meet legal obligations. "This is why it is essential to review NAP and consider additional measures to reduce the overall phosphorus surplus in our agricultural system," he said. "The main additional measures include further restrictions on use of chemical phosphorus fertiliser and a farm phosphorus balance limit for more intensive farms." He added that while 62% of the nutrient load in waterways could be traced back to to agriculture, other sources such as wastewater treatment and septic tank seepages also play a role. His department also wants to "enhance" the enforcement powers available to it, to apply fixed or variable monetary penalties for breaches of the NAP. Speaking on BBC's The View, Muir said he recognised that the measures proposed in the NAP are "challenging" and the consultation is "very complex". "Ultimately we do need to change so we can improve our waterways and I don't want to consign Lough Neagh to the scenes we've seen in recent years," Muir said. He added that since NI Water was established in 2007 they have had a "permission to pollute". He added that he was "fed up" with the lack of investment in wastewater infrastructure, and that the Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins "needs to get her head out of the sand and needs to turn the situation around". "What I am being left with as the minister for agriculture, environment and rural affairs is the job of cleaning up the sewage that NI Water are pumping into our waterways." On Friday, the minister announced that the consultation would be extended to 12 weeks and will now close on 24 July. "I recognise that the proposals in the revised NAP have a level of complexity because of the detailed science and evidence underpinning them," he said. "Therefore, having listened to the concerns from farmers and industry about the need for more time to consider the consultation proposals, I am extending the consultation period by four weeks." Muir said the extension is an "important opportunity" for people to respond or offer alternative proposals, and stressed that no final decisions have yet been made. Intensive farms – mostly dairy and some beef farms - can be granted a derogation for using slurry on their land, allowing them to apply up to 250kg nitrogen per hectare per year from grazing livestock manures, rather than 170kg. The number of farms that currently have a derogation is 427. The lower limit for nitrogen would be reduced to 150kg/N/ha/year, putting another 3,100 farms in the category. In total, the consultation document said, these farms account for 17% of all farms, yet produce some 50% of total manure nitrogen. They will also represent a significant proportion of surplus phosphorus because of their greater reliance on feed inputs. These farms would also be subject to a Phosphorus Balance Limit of 10kg/ha/year in 2027, reducing to 8kg in 2029. Other schemes seeking ways of better using slurry and the nutrients it contains include the sustainable use of livestock slurry and using slurry to generate biogas. Sewage bacteria above legal limits at NI swimming spots More than 2,000 fish killed in river pollution Stormont potentially breached water laws - minister Funds not available for major water infrastructure plans
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
NI water pollution: Farmers says Stormont proposals 'out of touch'
Farmers have said plans to reduce water pollution as a result of agricultural activity are "out of touch" with the reality of Ireland's long-overdue Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) for 2026-29 has been published for of the proposals are linked to the Lough Neagh Action low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) mandatory and placing restrictions on the use of phosphorus fertiliser are among recommended revisions. 'Farmers are not shying away' President of the Ulster Farmers' Union, William Irvine, said it was "deeply concerning" the proposals from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) "lean heavily" towards enforcement and regulation rather than education, incentives or collaboration with farmers."Farmers are not shying away from their responsibilities," he said."For the last 20 years, since NAP was first introduced, we have been implementing practices to improve water quality."We fully recognise the need to protect and improve water quality, but it must be done in a way that's balanced, fair and grounded in the day-to-day realities of farming in NI."The proposals within NAP reflect a clear disconnect with local agriculture and fail to deliver what's truly needed."Daera said it was "widely recognised that the intensification of agricultural production has had negative impacts on the environment". Why is the plan being introduced? Daera Minister Andrew Muir said action was needed to improve water quality and meet legal obligations."This is why it is essential to review NAP and consider additional measures to reduce the overall phosphorus surplus in our agricultural system," he said."The main additional measures include further restrictions on use of chemical phosphorus fertiliser and a farm phosphorus balance limit for more intensive farms."He added that while 62% of the nutrient load in waterways could be traced back to to agriculture, other sources such as wastewater treatment and septic tank seepages also play a department also wants to "enhance" the enforcement powers available to it, to apply fixed or variable monetary penalties for breaches of the NAP. 'Permission to pollute' Speaking on BBC's The View, Muir said he recognised that the measures proposed in the NAP are "challenging" and the consultation is "very complex".He told the programme he will be extending the consultation period by four weeks."Ultimately we do need to change so we can improve our waterways and I don't want to consign Lough Neagh to the scenes we've seen in recent years," Muir added that since NI Water was established in 2007 they have had a "permission to pollute".He added that he was "fed up" with the lack of investment in wastewater infrastructure, and that the Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins "needs to get her head out of the sand and needs to turn the situation around"."What I am being left with as the minister for agriculture, environment and rural affairs is the job of cleaning up the sewage that NI Water are pumping into our waterways." Better ways of using slurry Intensive farms – mostly dairy and some beef farms - can be granted a derogation for using slurry on their land, allowing them to apply up to 250kg nitrogen per hectare per year from grazing livestock manures, rather than number of farms that currently have a derogation is lower limit for nitrogen would be reduced to 150kg/N/ha/year, putting another 3,100 farms in the total, the consultation document said, these farms account for 17% of all farms, yet produce some 50% of total manure will also represent a significant proportion of surplus phosphorus because of their greater reliance on feed farms would also be subject to a Phosphorus Balance Limit of 10kg/ha/year in 2027, reducing to 8kg in schemes seeking ways of better using slurry and the nutrients it contains include the sustainable use of livestock slurry and using slurry to generate biogas.
The Independent
26-01-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Farmers vow to keep up pressure on UK Government over inheritance tax changes
The Ulster Farmers Union have vowed to keep up pressure on the UK Government over changes to inheritance tax. It comes after lines of tractors took to streets across Northern Ireland as part of a UK-wide protest by farmers against the announced cap on Agricultural Property Relief (APR). From April 2026, the first £1 million of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract no inheritance tax. But for assets over £1 million, inheritance tax will apply with 50% relief, at an effective rate of 20%. It has been estimated that almost 50% of farms in Northern Ireland will be impacted. Farmers have argued the bills will put their farm out of business and prevent their children being able to continue the business. In Northern Ireland there were seven tractor runs on Saturday covering all six counties, and two in Co Down, organised by the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) many bearing posters which read Save Our Family Farms and UFU flags. On Sunday, William Irvine, president of the UFU, said the rallies put the issue back on the political agenda for 2025. 'Our approach to the issue is to keep steady pressure on, and as each week goes by, there is building evidence, every report that comes out, and every new analysis tends to be support our position on this,' he told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme. 'Our own Department of Agriculture, their take is that it will impact significantly, 50% of the farms. 'Not only will that have severe implications for the family farms and the rural economy of Northern Ireland, it is a major threat to UK food security. 'We tend to have a smaller size farm, high value land and we tend to be owner occupiers, and even though some of our farms may be run as partnerships, the collateral tends to be in one name and that's what makes us so vulnerable to this tax. 'We are so vulnerable because of the high value we have, as high a value for land as there is in the United Kingdom and the Government are very keen to point out there are ways around this. 'All those mitigations that they say are there, all those mitigations come with a risk and come with a cost and this is what puts our makes our folks so nervous and puts their agricultural industry at risk.' He said Northern Ireland politicians are united on the issue in agreement with the UFU. 'We are struggling to get into the Chancellor's office, and we're going to maintain the pressure here,' he said. 'This doesn't come into until spring 2026 so it's continuous and increasing pressure as we go forward – we have to get through that door.'
