The logjam in planning due to issues around ammonia emissions could be significantly relieved in the coming weeks due to an intervention by DAERA Minister Edwin Poots.
Speaking at the Ulster Farmers’ Union’s (UFU) annual general meeting (AGM) last Saturday, the minister revealed that he has written to Shared Environmental Services (SES), the body which advises local councils on planning issues, indicating that it should change its approach to ammonia.
Based in Ballymena, SES was set up in 2015 to assess the impact of planning applications on internationally designated sites. In July 2019 it put in place new guidance which effectively stopped planning permission for new farm buildings that exceed 0.1% of the critical load at a designated site.
“I have written to SES indicating that they should be operating on 1% as opposed to a 0.1% threshold. That will create the opportunity for many more of the planning applications to actually be achieved” minister Poots told UFU members.
He said that he intervened on the issue on the basis that his department will be bringing forward an ammonia action plan in the coming weeks, which will lead to a reduction in emissions across the farming industry.
Perceived
While the Minister’s intervention will be welcomed by the UFU, who had a successful legal challenge against the SES guidance on ammonia in 2019, new UFU president Victor Chestnutt remains sceptical about the impact the gas actually has.
“We cannot fix perceived damage. I want to publicly invite the minister [Poots] and the chair of the Stormont Agriculture committee [Declan McAleer] on to our mosses to hear first-hand from locals that the condition of these mosses hasn’t changed in over 40 years,” said Chestnutt.
In his first speech as UFU president, Chestnutt went on to call for a disbandment of SES, which he said was simply duplicating the work of the NI Environment Agency (NIEA).
But he also accepted that farmers “must do better” on various environmental issues, including encouraging wildlife by managing hedges, and ensuring nutrients are properly applied.
He is supportive of Minister Poots’ concept of ‘green growth’, and pointed out that updating and modernising facilities brings potential benefits for the environment, better airflow (less disease and less antibiotics) and improved animal welfare. “Many of our farmyards are tired. We need to update and build modern sheds that will facilitate ‘green growth’. An industry that stagnates dies” said Chestnutt.
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots speaking at the UFU AGM
Support active farmers not landowners
While the current system of area-based payments is unlikely to see much change for another couple of years, beyond that, DAERA Minister Edwin Poots is keen to move to a system where more of the money is directed at productive farmers.
“It’s no secret, I don’t like the current system – it doesn’t actually encourage efficient farming” he told UFU members at the AGM.
“We are somewhat constrained by World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules [which limit payments linked to output], but I’m a production man. On hill farms, I want to see lambs and calves growing, not gorse and whins,” he added.
He also took aim at deputy presidential candidate Ian Buchanan, who in his hustings speech had highlighted the importance of direct payments to farm incomes. “Frankly that is no use. It is not the way forward for farming. I want to see farms making considerably more money than presented in the single farm payment” he said.
The Minister’s view was backed by UFU president Victor Chestnutt, who said that his members are not “park keepers”, and in any future system there should be no payments going to those “who just want to coast along”.
When asked for his thoughts, Sinn Fein chair of the Stormont Agriculture committee Declan McAleer said that those who take the risks and make the decisions in farming are the ones who should be rewarded.
McAleer defends climate policy
With many farmers concerned that government moves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could limit output off local farms, Stormont Agriculture Committee chair, Declan McAleer was asked why he brought forward a motion calling for legally binding targets last week.
“Farmers are at the front line of climate changes” argued McAleer, who pointed to the landslide in the Glenelly Valley area in 2017 as an example of recent extreme weather events.
He said that NI was the only region on these two islands without a specific Climate Change Act, and warned that international customers for our produce could conclude that we are not taking the issue seriously.
“Any Act will only come about with widespread consultation with the sector, and agreement with political parties. It should not be shirked at.
“I wouldn’t want to stand over it if it’s going to be detrimental to farming” he said.
To enforce the Act, Stormont’s New Decade, New Approach document agreed in January set out how an independent environmental protection agency would then be established to ensure targets are met.
However, Minister Poots is not an advocate of that approach, and told UFU members that he prefers to see elected representatives, not unaccountable bodies, making decisions.
“I am looking for win, wins, that make real and tangible differences to the environment but won’t crucify farming when doing it. We [in NI] will make a contribution [to climate change], but do it in a rational, sensible, practical way, and leave others to do the panicking” he said.
In recent weeks he has outlined his vision for ‘green growth’ where productive agriculture can be encouraged, while at the same time the environment is enhanced. Crucial to that is land management and better use of nutrients, with the minister keen to roll out an extensive soil sampling scheme in the future.
Compensation
On a potential compensation package for farmers in the Glenelly Valley and surrounding areas impacted by the August 2017 floods, Minister Poots confirmed that he is yet to make a decision on funding.
Dodds told to sort RHI debacle
During his first address as UFU president, Victor Chestnutt also had some advice for Economy Minister Diane Dodds on how she should handle the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.
“Stop listening to civil servants who created this mayhem and look either to the UK or Republic of Ireland, and let honest farmers who partook in this government scheme go forward with a sensible compromise” he suggested.
He was supported in that by Minister Poots who pointed out that the scheme will lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions which would be “very foolish to throw away”. He said that he will continue to make the case to Ministerial colleagues that boiler owners should receive “appropriate recompense” going forward.
“Anyone who legitimately put in the boilers, we support the view that they shouldn’t be out of pocket, and should be appropriately recompensed as well,” added Declan McAleer.
Irvine wins UFU deputy race
Armagh dairy farmer William Irvine was elected as a new deputy president at the UFU AGM.
Irvine joins the UFU presidential team headed up by president Victor Chestnutt from Bushmills, Co Antrim, who succeeds Co Armagh sheep farmer Ivor Ferguson.
The other deputy president is Fermanagh farmer, David Brown, who was re-elected for a second two-year term.
In the race for the second deputy president position, William Irvine was up against Dungiven hill sheep and dairy farmer Ian Buchanan.
With Irvine successful, normal convention is that he will now serve two terms (four years) as deputy president, before taking on the role of president in 2024.
William Irvine farms the Halftown Holstein herd at Mountnorris in County Armagh, alongside his son David
Chestnutt looks to
create NI Embrace
For his nominated charity Victor Chestnutt told the UFU AGM that he would like to set up a service that mirrors Embrace FARM. Based in the Republic of Ireland it provides a support network to those impacted by farm accidents.
Minister Poots on:
Conacre: “I would like to look at how we can encourage schemes for long-term leasing. We are writing to the Treasury in London about this.”
COVID-19 fund: “I was in Markethill last Saturday – there was a bit of criticism coming from suckler people about not getting money. But the beef men there were being very generous to the suckler men in that instance. We sought to be as fair as possible.”
Opportunities: “I see great opportunities, for example in horticulture. Big opportunities still exist in farming. Beef and sheep, and dairy, they are not the only areas of farming”
Promotion: “I look at the example of Bord Bia. I would be leaning towards us having a key marketing and promotion body for NI produce, to go out into the world and demonstrate the quality of our product.”
Victor Chestnutt on:
DAERA: “Our support is coming from Westminster, so we need a new breed of civil servant – people with the attitude of getting things done. We need a change of attitude from officials away from being the policeman to being an adviser.”
Supply Chain: “We need a new and imaginative relationship with our processors – one that gets right back to basics. Unfortunately, we have arrived at a place in the food chain where everyone else receives their reward, while the farmer is expected to exist on the scraps that remain.”
Read more
Farmers urged to follow NI mart protocol
Dairy farmers should know prices – Chestnutt
Minister to decide ammonia rules
The logjam in planning due to issues around ammonia emissions could be significantly relieved in the coming weeks due to an intervention by DAERA Minister Edwin Poots.
Speaking at the Ulster Farmers’ Union’s (UFU) annual general meeting (AGM) last Saturday, the minister revealed that he has written to Shared Environmental Services (SES), the body which advises local councils on planning issues, indicating that it should change its approach to ammonia.
Based in Ballymena, SES was set up in 2015 to assess the impact of planning applications on internationally designated sites. In July 2019 it put in place new guidance which effectively stopped planning permission for new farm buildings that exceed 0.1% of the critical load at a designated site.
“I have written to SES indicating that they should be operating on 1% as opposed to a 0.1% threshold. That will create the opportunity for many more of the planning applications to actually be achieved” minister Poots told UFU members.
He said that he intervened on the issue on the basis that his department will be bringing forward an ammonia action plan in the coming weeks, which will lead to a reduction in emissions across the farming industry.
Perceived
While the Minister’s intervention will be welcomed by the UFU, who had a successful legal challenge against the SES guidance on ammonia in 2019, new UFU president Victor Chestnutt remains sceptical about the impact the gas actually has.
“We cannot fix perceived damage. I want to publicly invite the minister [Poots] and the chair of the Stormont Agriculture committee [Declan McAleer] on to our mosses to hear first-hand from locals that the condition of these mosses hasn’t changed in over 40 years,” said Chestnutt.
In his first speech as UFU president, Chestnutt went on to call for a disbandment of SES, which he said was simply duplicating the work of the NI Environment Agency (NIEA).
But he also accepted that farmers “must do better” on various environmental issues, including encouraging wildlife by managing hedges, and ensuring nutrients are properly applied.
He is supportive of Minister Poots’ concept of ‘green growth’, and pointed out that updating and modernising facilities brings potential benefits for the environment, better airflow (less disease and less antibiotics) and improved animal welfare. “Many of our farmyards are tired. We need to update and build modern sheds that will facilitate ‘green growth’. An industry that stagnates dies” said Chestnutt.
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots speaking at the UFU AGM
Support active farmers not landowners
While the current system of area-based payments is unlikely to see much change for another couple of years, beyond that, DAERA Minister Edwin Poots is keen to move to a system where more of the money is directed at productive farmers.
“It’s no secret, I don’t like the current system – it doesn’t actually encourage efficient farming” he told UFU members at the AGM.
“We are somewhat constrained by World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules [which limit payments linked to output], but I’m a production man. On hill farms, I want to see lambs and calves growing, not gorse and whins,” he added.
He also took aim at deputy presidential candidate Ian Buchanan, who in his hustings speech had highlighted the importance of direct payments to farm incomes. “Frankly that is no use. It is not the way forward for farming. I want to see farms making considerably more money than presented in the single farm payment” he said.
The Minister’s view was backed by UFU president Victor Chestnutt, who said that his members are not “park keepers”, and in any future system there should be no payments going to those “who just want to coast along”.
When asked for his thoughts, Sinn Fein chair of the Stormont Agriculture committee Declan McAleer said that those who take the risks and make the decisions in farming are the ones who should be rewarded.
McAleer defends climate policy
With many farmers concerned that government moves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could limit output off local farms, Stormont Agriculture Committee chair, Declan McAleer was asked why he brought forward a motion calling for legally binding targets last week.
“Farmers are at the front line of climate changes” argued McAleer, who pointed to the landslide in the Glenelly Valley area in 2017 as an example of recent extreme weather events.
He said that NI was the only region on these two islands without a specific Climate Change Act, and warned that international customers for our produce could conclude that we are not taking the issue seriously.
“Any Act will only come about with widespread consultation with the sector, and agreement with political parties. It should not be shirked at.
“I wouldn’t want to stand over it if it’s going to be detrimental to farming” he said.
To enforce the Act, Stormont’s New Decade, New Approach document agreed in January set out how an independent environmental protection agency would then be established to ensure targets are met.
However, Minister Poots is not an advocate of that approach, and told UFU members that he prefers to see elected representatives, not unaccountable bodies, making decisions.
“I am looking for win, wins, that make real and tangible differences to the environment but won’t crucify farming when doing it. We [in NI] will make a contribution [to climate change], but do it in a rational, sensible, practical way, and leave others to do the panicking” he said.
In recent weeks he has outlined his vision for ‘green growth’ where productive agriculture can be encouraged, while at the same time the environment is enhanced. Crucial to that is land management and better use of nutrients, with the minister keen to roll out an extensive soil sampling scheme in the future.
Compensation
On a potential compensation package for farmers in the Glenelly Valley and surrounding areas impacted by the August 2017 floods, Minister Poots confirmed that he is yet to make a decision on funding.
Dodds told to sort RHI debacle
During his first address as UFU president, Victor Chestnutt also had some advice for Economy Minister Diane Dodds on how she should handle the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.
“Stop listening to civil servants who created this mayhem and look either to the UK or Republic of Ireland, and let honest farmers who partook in this government scheme go forward with a sensible compromise” he suggested.
He was supported in that by Minister Poots who pointed out that the scheme will lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions which would be “very foolish to throw away”. He said that he will continue to make the case to Ministerial colleagues that boiler owners should receive “appropriate recompense” going forward.
“Anyone who legitimately put in the boilers, we support the view that they shouldn’t be out of pocket, and should be appropriately recompensed as well,” added Declan McAleer.
Irvine wins UFU deputy race
Armagh dairy farmer William Irvine was elected as a new deputy president at the UFU AGM.
Irvine joins the UFU presidential team headed up by president Victor Chestnutt from Bushmills, Co Antrim, who succeeds Co Armagh sheep farmer Ivor Ferguson.
The other deputy president is Fermanagh farmer, David Brown, who was re-elected for a second two-year term.
In the race for the second deputy president position, William Irvine was up against Dungiven hill sheep and dairy farmer Ian Buchanan.
With Irvine successful, normal convention is that he will now serve two terms (four years) as deputy president, before taking on the role of president in 2024.
William Irvine farms the Halftown Holstein herd at Mountnorris in County Armagh, alongside his son David
Chestnutt looks to
create NI Embrace
For his nominated charity Victor Chestnutt told the UFU AGM that he would like to set up a service that mirrors Embrace FARM. Based in the Republic of Ireland it provides a support network to those impacted by farm accidents.
Minister Poots on:
Conacre: “I would like to look at how we can encourage schemes for long-term leasing. We are writing to the Treasury in London about this.”
COVID-19 fund: “I was in Markethill last Saturday – there was a bit of criticism coming from suckler people about not getting money. But the beef men there were being very generous to the suckler men in that instance. We sought to be as fair as possible.”
Opportunities: “I see great opportunities, for example in horticulture. Big opportunities still exist in farming. Beef and sheep, and dairy, they are not the only areas of farming”
Promotion: “I look at the example of Bord Bia. I would be leaning towards us having a key marketing and promotion body for NI produce, to go out into the world and demonstrate the quality of our product.”
Victor Chestnutt on:
DAERA: “Our support is coming from Westminster, so we need a new breed of civil servant – people with the attitude of getting things done. We need a change of attitude from officials away from being the policeman to being an adviser.”
Supply Chain: “We need a new and imaginative relationship with our processors – one that gets right back to basics. Unfortunately, we have arrived at a place in the food chain where everyone else receives their reward, while the farmer is expected to exist on the scraps that remain.”
Read more
Farmers urged to follow NI mart protocol
Dairy farmers should know prices – Chestnutt
Minister to decide ammonia rules
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