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Proposed legislation that would require NI farmers to be paid a minimum price for their produce that covers costs of production, and adds in a margin that is inflation-linked, is to be considered by the Agriculture committee at Stormont.
The Farm Welfare Bill NI is the culmination of years of work by a number of farm groups in NI, including Farmers For Action (FFA), the NI Agricultural Producers’ Association (NIAPA), the NI Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (NILAA), and with support from local members of the National Beef Association (NBA).
Proposals
The groups are to be asked to outline their proposals directly to the committee.
According to FFA NI co-ordinator William Taylor, legislation on minimum pricing would create jobs in rural areas, and would not lead to higher prices for consumers.
“Its purpose is to force the corporate food retailers, corporate food wholesalers and to a lesser extent corporate food processors to lower their profits and pass on the farmers fair share of the financial cake,” he said.
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