UFU’s milk price indicator reinstated

The Ulster Farmers’ Union has confirmed that the milk price indicator (MPI) is to be reinstated. The index aims to give dairy farmers an indication of the returns available from commodity markets.

The MPI was developed in 2013 in response to the ending of United Dairy Farmers’ milk auction but publication was stopped when markets dipped below the prices being paid by milk processors in NI.

BSE low-risk status moves closer

The scientific commission of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has recommended that NI be recognised as an area of negligible risk for BSE.

The recommendation will be considered by the OIE World Assembly in Paris in May when a decision on changing the BSE status of NI from controlled risk to negligible risk will be made.

The application to OIE for the change in BSE status was made by DAERA in October.

Making Brexit work

The Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) is to hold its annual conference on Thursday 9 March under the theme of making Brexit work for NI.

The speakers for the evening will be Andrew Webb, managing director of Webb Advisory, Declan Billington, CEO, John Thompson & Sons Ltd and the chair of the NI Food and Drink Association and Phelim O’Neill, global market intelligence specialist with the Irish Farmers Journal.

The conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel, Templepatrick, with a buffet served at 6.30pm. The conference begins at 7.15pm. The cost for NIIAS members is £20, for non-members is £25 and for students is £10.

To attend the conference, contact Robert McKnight, NIIAS secretary at secretary@niias.co.uk or call/text 07756009770 by midday on Tuesday 7 March.

EFS applications to open next week

The Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) is to open for applications on Monday (27 February) for a five-week period with the application deadline set for 31 March.

All applications have to be completed online. The Department has said that one-to-one appointments can be organised with EFS advisers in DAERA direct offices to help applicants through the application process.

A form is also available on the DAERA website for applicants to nominate an authorised person to undertake an application on their behalf. DAERA direct offices can be used for applicants if broadband access is limited.

Applications will be assessed on environmental benefit, with the scheme offering five year agreements for successful applicants.

The wider level agreements will start on 1 July 2017 and the first higher-level agreements for farmers in environmentally designated areas will start on 1 January 2018.

The group level will open on a pilot basis only in 2017.

A second tranche of the scheme is expected to open next year.