Farm groups put forward case for legislation

Farmers For Action and Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA) met Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen this week to put the case forward for legislation on farmgate prices. In a statement, the organisations accepted that the minister remains to be convinced as to whether it would work. However, according to NIAPA chair Michael Clarke, farmers have nothing to lose by the introduction of legislation. “Thankfully, the responses from virtually every other party and independents are much more positive,” he said.

Both organisations are in the process of getting draft legislation written, which can then be taken back to the minister for comment. “In fairness to the minister and her team, they did concede that when they would see sight of the legislation document after completion that they would then judge it accordingly,” acknowledged Clarke.

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Clarity on active farmers

With a long winter ahead, and grazing conditions difficult, a number of farmers continue to be frustrated by rules around active farmers.

Where a landowner has taken two cuts of silage off for either sale later in the season, or for use in an anaerobic digester, there is ample aftergrass available. But there is a reluctance to allow another farmer in to graze this grass with sheep or cattle in case the landowner falls foul of active farmer rules.

In this scenario, the landowner has taken the majority of the risk for the majority of the year, so there is no issue with letting a neighbour on this backend, as long as documentary evidence exists to back up the activity undertaken during the main growing season.