The chair of the NI Food and Drink Association (NIFDA), Nick Whelan, has called on politicians at Stormont to finally deliver on both a processor grant scheme, and a marketing body, for NI.
The Dale Farm CEO was speaking at the association’s 24th annual dinner, held as a virtual event on Thursday.
During his presentation Whelan outlined how NIFDA has the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) on board on these key issues, having come to a new partnership arrangement with the farm lobby organisation to engage with politicians at Stormont. “We will not agree on all issues, but we together see big issues and opportunities staring us in the face,” said Whelan.
The most immediate priority is for a processor grant scheme to help deliver capital expansion in the sector and our value-added capability.
He pointed out that NI is the only part of the UK not to have a processor grant scheme in place.
But this NIFDA request is not new. “Frustratingly, we have spent three years attempting to cajole and accommodate a process that completely ran to ground in July of this year. Our competitors across the UK march on. This is competitive disadvantage in the starkest sense. I call on (Economy) Minister Dodds to urgently address this weakness,” said Whelan.
Second request
The second NIFDA priority is for a NI food marketing body, which they want set up in the coming months, to promote the quality credentials of NI food and facilitate the opening of new markets. “It feels like the time is right. COVID and Brexit bring an impetus we cannot ignore,” said Whelan.
But again, the industry has been here before, and a NI marketing body was a key recommendation in the 2013 report by the Agri-food Strategy Board.
Industry members of the board then set up a food marketing association in 2015 in anticipation that it would receive government funding, but it remains classed as a ‘dormant company’.
“There is a sense of fatigue and a lack of belief that it can be launched in NI due to the many failed attempts to get this across the line over the last 20 years. This is not our proudest example of collaboration [with government],” said Whelan.
With competitors in the Republic of Ireland and in Britain able to access capital grants and work with dedicated marketing bodies, he maintained that industry in NI has to work with two hands tied behind its back. “This unfair situation cannot continue,” he concluded.
Read more
Brexit won't be done at the end of 2020
NI to create new agri-food body
The chair of the NI Food and Drink Association (NIFDA), Nick Whelan, has called on politicians at Stormont to finally deliver on both a processor grant scheme, and a marketing body, for NI.
The Dale Farm CEO was speaking at the association’s 24th annual dinner, held as a virtual event on Thursday.
During his presentation Whelan outlined how NIFDA has the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) on board on these key issues, having come to a new partnership arrangement with the farm lobby organisation to engage with politicians at Stormont. “We will not agree on all issues, but we together see big issues and opportunities staring us in the face,” said Whelan.
The most immediate priority is for a processor grant scheme to help deliver capital expansion in the sector and our value-added capability.
He pointed out that NI is the only part of the UK not to have a processor grant scheme in place.
But this NIFDA request is not new. “Frustratingly, we have spent three years attempting to cajole and accommodate a process that completely ran to ground in July of this year. Our competitors across the UK march on. This is competitive disadvantage in the starkest sense. I call on (Economy) Minister Dodds to urgently address this weakness,” said Whelan.
Second request
The second NIFDA priority is for a NI food marketing body, which they want set up in the coming months, to promote the quality credentials of NI food and facilitate the opening of new markets. “It feels like the time is right. COVID and Brexit bring an impetus we cannot ignore,” said Whelan.
But again, the industry has been here before, and a NI marketing body was a key recommendation in the 2013 report by the Agri-food Strategy Board.
Industry members of the board then set up a food marketing association in 2015 in anticipation that it would receive government funding, but it remains classed as a ‘dormant company’.
“There is a sense of fatigue and a lack of belief that it can be launched in NI due to the many failed attempts to get this across the line over the last 20 years. This is not our proudest example of collaboration [with government],” said Whelan.
With competitors in the Republic of Ireland and in Britain able to access capital grants and work with dedicated marketing bodies, he maintained that industry in NI has to work with two hands tied behind its back. “This unfair situation cannot continue,” he concluded.
Read more
Brexit won't be done at the end of 2020
NI to create new agri-food body
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