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Broiler breeders who have been financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic are making a case to DAERA for a share of the remaining £7.2m support fund.
“We are aware that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on hatching egg producers,” DAERA Minister Edwin Poots told MLAs on Tuesday.
“Many of those eggs would have been sold to the Middle East and to the Far East, for example. However, those markets have dried up as a consequence of COVID-19.”
These producers were not able to avail of the initial coronavirus support scheme because state aid rules prevent DAERA from compensating farmers for losses that have not taken place yet.
“I think that in the future, certainly in this financial year, we will be able to give significant consideration to this,” Minister Poots said.
A production sale of pedigree Simmental cattle from the Ballinlare Farm and Ranfurly herds was topped at 7,000gns in Dungannon Farmers’ Mart last week. The highest priced lot was a January 2019-born heifer, Ranfurly Beauty 13th, exhibited by the Hazelton family from Dungannon.
Meanwhile, lots at the NI Texel Club’s premier sale in Ballymena Mart sold to a top price of 6,000gns on Saturday. It was paid for Tamnamoney Denzil, a ram lamb exhibited by Coleraine breeder Roger Strawbridge.
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