Farmers for Action (FFA) is highlighting the need to maintain a strong cohort of full-time farmers in Northern Ireland.
And making this happen will require the delivery of farm gate prices that allow production agriculture to cover its cost and invest in the future.
FFA spokesperson, William Taylor, commented: “Government legislation will be required to make this happen.
“In the meantime, we have an increasing number of people within families left with no option but to secure other jobs, simply to maintain their farming businesses.”
He added that these “include husbands, wives, and their children”.
“But this is fast becoming an unsustainable situation as these outside incomes are being used to try and fill the financial black holes that have developed within their farming operations,” Taylor said.
“Agriculture in Northern Ireland must be put on a sustainable footing. And this can only be achieved with the provision of fair prices at the farm gate.”
Geopolitical challenges
According to FFA, the ongoing Middle East conflict is another example of the boom/bust cycles that have characterised agriculture around the world over many years.
However, according to Taylor, Irish agriculture can act to insulate itself from these geopolitical developments by making much better use of the organic manures that are produced by the various livestock sectors.
He also wants to see more land brought into agricultural production and a return to more mixed farming practices.
FFA has noted the campaign now underway to have Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) payments re-instated in Northern Ireland.
“The principles involved here are fine. But the big question remains: where will the money come from to fund a new payment scheme?” Taylor queried.
“The most effective way of funding hill farmers is to endure that beef and lamb finishers are being fully recognised for the produce they bring to the market.
“In these circumstances, everyone in the production chain gets the opportunity of being fully recompensed for the investment they make.”
FFA believes that agriculture can play a key role at an international level in producing the energy the world needs.
Taylor cites the example of Brazil, where drivers fuel their car with ethanol that is derived from sugar cane.
“The scope to boost the production of biofuels around the world is immense,” he continued.
“If this were to happen, there would be nothing to stop the likes of Brazil exporting bioethanol to the UK and Ireland.”
