2017 flooding aid not ruled out
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has told MLAs that he has not ruled out providing hardship funding to farmers hit by floods in the northwest back in August 2017.
He was responding to a question from west Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan, who drew parallels with the support given to businesses in Belfast city centre after the Primark fire in 2018.
The minister said he accepted that affected farmers in the northwest could feel “abandoned”, but said that advice from his civil servants was that providing funding at this stage “does not represent value for money”.
As a result, he would have to go against that advice, by way of a ministerial direction. “That is something that I have not ruled out doing,” he said.
He also confirmed that he has been lobbied on the issue by the UFU.
Seven bird flu cases under investigation
There are seven suspected cases of avian influenza currently under investigation in counties Fermanagh and Tyrone.
Last week, five suspected bird flu cases were being investigated by DAERA.
However, there has been no increase in the number of confirmed cases of avian influenza over the past week, with only three cases identified so far.
All three incidents were on poultry units located in Co Fermanagh and involved the low pathogenic H6N1 strain of avian influenza.
The H6N1 strain is non-notifiable meaning de-population of units is not compulsory, but compensation is not available for producers that cull infected birds.
Extra time for completing EFS measures
A review into the third tranche of the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) has been completed and its outcome is to be announced shortly.
The exercise began in December 2019 amid concerns about the level of funding potentially going on measures which involve fencing.
In previous tranches, EFS participants had to complete most measures by 1 June. However, it is understood that those farmers that are successful in the third tranche will be given more time to get the work done.
Read more
Flood aid not recommended for Tyrone farmers
EFS options await Ministerial approval
2017 flooding aid not ruled out
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has told MLAs that he has not ruled out providing hardship funding to farmers hit by floods in the northwest back in August 2017.
He was responding to a question from west Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan, who drew parallels with the support given to businesses in Belfast city centre after the Primark fire in 2018.
The minister said he accepted that affected farmers in the northwest could feel “abandoned”, but said that advice from his civil servants was that providing funding at this stage “does not represent value for money”.
As a result, he would have to go against that advice, by way of a ministerial direction. “That is something that I have not ruled out doing,” he said.
He also confirmed that he has been lobbied on the issue by the UFU.
Seven bird flu cases under investigation
There are seven suspected cases of avian influenza currently under investigation in counties Fermanagh and Tyrone.
Last week, five suspected bird flu cases were being investigated by DAERA.
However, there has been no increase in the number of confirmed cases of avian influenza over the past week, with only three cases identified so far.
All three incidents were on poultry units located in Co Fermanagh and involved the low pathogenic H6N1 strain of avian influenza.
The H6N1 strain is non-notifiable meaning de-population of units is not compulsory, but compensation is not available for producers that cull infected birds.
Extra time for completing EFS measures
A review into the third tranche of the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) has been completed and its outcome is to be announced shortly.
The exercise began in December 2019 amid concerns about the level of funding potentially going on measures which involve fencing.
In previous tranches, EFS participants had to complete most measures by 1 June. However, it is understood that those farmers that are successful in the third tranche will be given more time to get the work done.
Read more
Flood aid not recommended for Tyrone farmers
EFS options await Ministerial approval
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