Local politicians who support the net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 target were criticised by Ulster Farmers’ Union president Victor Chestnutt at a meeting in Limavady last week.

The net zero target for NI is contained within a private members bill which has been brought forward by Green Party MLA Clare Bailey.

Chesnutt told UFU members that Bailey does not hide her view that she wants output from the NI agriculture industry to reduce significantly.

“She says we shouldn’t be feeding 10m people, so we should contract and just feed ourselves [in NI]. At least she’s honest,” the UFU president said.

To me, that is speaking with forked tongues coming out the two sides of your mouth

Chestnutt instead took aim at other politicians at Stormont who support the bill without being upfront about its impact on the agri-food sector.

“Some of our other MLAs who are backing her bill are saying ‘we don’t want to destroy the rural community, but we’re backing this bill’.

“To me, that is speaking with forked tongues coming out the two sides of your mouth,” he said.

Spotlight

Meanwhile, at Stormont on Monday, Sinn Féin were put in the spotlight by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots for maintaining their support of the Green Party’s bill.

The DUP politician pointed out that the target goes against scientific advice from experts on UK government’s Climate Change Committee, and consultancy firm KPMG found that cattle and sheep numbers in NI will need to reduce by 86% for the target to be met.

He also highlighted that Sinn Féin is much more critical of the climate legislation which is passing through the Dáil in Dublin, especially over its impact on farmers and rural communities.

I call on Sinn Féin to reflect on the damage that it is potentially doing to the agricultural industry

“[Sinn Féin] is saying one thing in the South of Ireland and a different thing here in NI. It is abandoning the farmers who live in the hills and the uplands of NI,” Minister Poots said.

“I call on Sinn Féin to reflect on the damage that it is potentially doing to the agricultural industry by backing something that has no scientific grounds,” he added.