Discussions aimed at delivering a bespoke sheep support package for sheep farmers in Northern Ireland are to continue over the summer months.
Representatives from Northern Ireland’s Sheep Task Force met with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on the matter over recent days.
The venue was the Sheep NI event, hosted by the National Sheep Association on the farm of the McFarlane family on the outskirts of Dungiven in Co. Derry.
Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) deputy president, Glenn Cuddy, chairs the task force.
He said: “Those farmers who keep sheep only are losing 17% of their former basic payment monies to help fund the new beef support measures that have been introduced over the past 12 months.
“This is grossly unfair. We have made this point to DAERA officials on numerous occasions.”
The UFU representative said they have also spoken to DAERA on securing a sheep support package.
“We have received a commitment of sorts from DAERA that a sheep support package can be delivered, provided the money can be found to fund it,” Cuddy said.
“In the same breath we are hearing from officials that there are insufficient staffing levels within the Department of Agriculture to address the numerous policy-related issues that are in train a at the present time.”
Sheep support package
The UFU deputy president feels it is time for Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir to step in and take charge of the sheep support debate.
Cuddy said: “Further meetings involving taskforce representatives and DAERA officials will take place over the summer months,
“But, in truth, we need to see real progress being made on the sheep support issue as a matter of priority.”
It has been further calculated that sheep farmers in Northern Ireland are currently losing out to the tune of €25/ewe relative to their counterparts south of the border.
Moving forward with a form of headage scheme in Northern Ireland would be one way of balancing out this scenario.
However, DAERA officials seem steadfast in their opposition to such a proposal.
Future sheep funding packages in Northern Ireland may well take the form of additional support for flock recording and genomic testing.
In addition, farmers want to see sheep grazing in hill areas made totally eligible within the new Farming for Nature schemes.
There is a strong school of thought that previous restrictions on sheep grazing in upland areas have damaged the biodiversity of these regions while also enhancing fire risks during the spring and summer months.
