Farmers for Action (FFA) has withdrawn from all official discussions relating to a new Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) for Northern Ireland.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.
