All of the main political parties running in the NI Assembly elections have included a section in their manifestos on policies related to the agri-food sector.

Several common issues emerge, including access to alternative finance for farmers, in particular through the European Investment Bank (EIB), and promoting co-operation within the supply chain to deliver greater market returns to farmers.

The UUP wants to “explore new legislative options” to ensure farmers receive a fair price, Sinn Féin wants to continue to ‘‘champion fairness in the supply chain’’, while the SDLP wants to “deliver policies that support farmers, challenge power imbalances and deliver fairness”.

Most of the parties outline support for the Going for Growth strategy, while both the SDLP and Sinn Féin are keen to progress all-island food labelling.

On bovine TB, the Ulster Unionists want to address the reservoir of TB in wildlife, although the Alliance party highlights that it is opposed to badger culling to control the disease. The party is also opposed to live exports and wants to limit the amount of CAP money that goes to larger farms.

Of concern to farmers will be some of the environmental policies outlined in party documents.

Both the SDLP and Alliance want to create an independent environment agency and introduce a climate change bill, something also advocated by Sinn Féin. They are proposals that have been consistently opposed by the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

Instead, the DUP plans to introduce an environmental advisory division within the new Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

First Minister Arlene Foster is very much at the forefront of the DUP Assembly election campaign, and earlier this week she met the agri-press to launch a policy document targeted at the agri-food sector.

She was non-committal on whether the DUP would take the new DAERA portfolio after the election, pointing out that there will be a longer period (up to 14 days) after this election for parties to agree on a new programme for government, and to work out where their priorities lie.

However, there are a number of interesting policy positions in the document, including around CAP reform, where the DUP would like to freeze the transition to flat-rate payments as part of a midterm review in 2017.

In principle, the party is also against any transfer of funds out of Pillar I (direct payments to farmers) to Pillar II (rural development) to fund schemes such as the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC).

When asked about environment and agriculture coming together under a DAERA minister, First Minister Foster said that it should bring synergies. However, she recognised that farmers often feel they are over-burdened with environmental-type regulation – hence the idea of a new division within DAERA to offer advice to farmers on environment related rules – it is based on the model of the health and safety executive who major on education and advice, ahead of enforcement.

On accessing new markets, the First Minister said that it would be over-bureaucratic for NI to go it alone without counterparts in Britain. Instead she said that DAERA must work more closely and productively with Defra in London. “I’m not sure the previous Minister (Michelle O’Neill) did that,” she said.

She also indicated that the DARD/DAERA move to a new headquarters in Ballykelly was “past the line now”, so there would be no U-turn under a DUP Minister, and that the £250m of funding coming from the Stormont executive to fund the upcoming Farm Business Improvement Scheme was “secure”. A business case for the capital grant scheme element is currently with the Department of Finance for approval.

On the pressure on farm incomes, First Minister Foster acknowledged that there were many challenges. The DUP would like to see the Grocery Code Adjudicator, Christine Tacon, given additional powers to tackle unfair practices in the supply chain.

When asked about Brexit, the First Minister maintained that she has met very few farmers who want to remain in the EU.