The new Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is DUP MLA for Strangford, Michelle McIlveen.

The former schoolteacher and politics graduate has been an MLA since 2007, and in September 2015 replaced Danny Kennedy as Roads Minister when the Ulster Unionists decided to leave the Stormont Executive.

She is not completely new to the agriculture brief, having had a short stint on the agriculture and rural development committee at Stormont during the last mandate, although her contributions were mostly related to fishing, not farming.

Minister McIlveen was nominated to the post yesterday (Wednesday) by First Minister Arlene Foster. In the end, agriculture was picked fifth out of the seven Government departments on offer, with the DUP taking the economy and education, and Sinn Féin taking finance and infrastructure as their first picks. Sixth pick went to the DUP by way of communities, while Sinn Féin took the last pick of health, nominating previous Minister for Agriculture Michelle O’Neill into that post.

Mid Ulster Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon, who is new to the Assembly, takes up the influential role of chair of the agriculture, environment and rural affairs committee.

MEPs to debate Brexit

Northern Ireland farm groups including the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA) and Farmers For Action (FFA) have invited our three local MEPs, Diane Dodds, Martina Anderson and Jim Nicholson, to debate British exit from the EU.

The debate is due to take place at CAFRE Greenmount on 10 June starting at 2pm. According to the farm groups, it will be an opportunity for farmers and rural dwellers to hear from those representing NI in Brussels on how to vote in the June 23 referendum. Everyone is welcome to attend.

UFU hosts Brexit debate

The Ulster Farmers’ Union has confirmed that it will hold an EU referendum debate, to take place at the Eikon complex at Balmoral Park on Tuesday 7 June at 8pm.

The speaker for the leave campaign will be the former DEFRA minister, Owen Paterson, who is a long-time critic of the EU. The remain campaign will also provide a speaker, although it has yet to confirm who it will be.

Announcing the details, UFU president Barclay Bell again emphasised that the union is not advising members how to vote, but in the absence of no compelling reason to leave, it sees remaining as the safer option.

Leatherjacket control petition

The National Farmers’ Union in Scotland is considering an application for emergency usage of chlorpyrifos (Dursban WG and Equity) after the product was withdrawn from the market by the UK Health and Safety Executive earlier this year.

The lobbying effort being made by the Scots is being supported by other farming unions, including the UFU, but to build a case the farm organisations must be able to show that there is an emergency.