As we look ahead to 2023, it is set to be a crucial year that could define NI agriculture over the next decade.

Of upmost importance will be a climate action plan for farming, which will set out many of the changes necessary to contribute to the overall target for the UK to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Much of this will be challenging, especially for dairy and beef, and as an industry we must present a united case for any climate targets to be realistic and science based.

We also need leaders to emerge with a vision for the future, because we are part of the long term solution.

As well as the carbon we can sequester in our grassland, peatland, trees and hedges, we have resources needed for renewable technology, we can grow energy crops such as biomass, and have the slurry and crops at hand to power biodigestors.

Farming might have to change and evolve, but the opportunities are real, and with the right policies in place, there is nothing to fear.

Overhaul

While a climate plan looks set to be the big driver of change, underlying this is the DAERA work on a future agricultural policy, with an overhaul of schemes due in 2024 (assuming Stormont returns in time).

Longer term, the vision is for money to be mostly targeted at agri-environment type schemes, however, the big initial change is for 17% of the budget (around £50m) to help create a more efficient beef sector.

It means a new area-based sustainability payment to replace the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) will have reduced funding, and there are also plans to exclude those who only grow grass for sale. The other main change is a progressive cap on the payment, starting at £60,000.

This issue of a cap on payments has sparked some debate in recent weeks.

However, we can expect much more scrutiny around all these policy issues in 2023, as more details emerge and we get closer to implementation date.

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