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Following a meeting with DAERA officials, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has said that Northern Ireland’s allocation of the €350m EU Exceptional Adjustment Aid for vulnerable livestock sectors should focus on supporting animal health measures.
“Animal health is a significant and often costly problem on farms and, while the funds are very limited, this is an opportunity to help farmers tackle some of the issues,” said UFU president Barclay Bell.
The UFU has said that “a wide and varied range of options” were outlined to DAERA officials for the Exceptional Adjustment Aid, with animal health measures being the focus. “We … believe the aid package should be implemented to provide genuine, lasting benefits to the industry,” Bell said.
NI allocation
The UK allocation of the EU aid package equates to around £30m, with the UFU estimating that NI’s allocation will be around £4.5m. There is also the option that national governments can top up the package. However, it is understood that this is unlikely to happen.
“Our main focus is to maximise Northern Ireland’s share of the UK national envelope. This is critical if we are to have a well-funded scheme that can deliver a lasting legacy for farmers,” said Bell.
The Exceptional Adjustment Aid is part of a wider €500m EU aid package which includes €150m voluntary milk supply reduction scheme announced by the European Commission in July. Money from the €350m package can also go to top up the voluntary aid package for dairy farmers, which is currently set to pay around 12p/l for every litre of milk reduced over a three-month period.
Livestock sectors
Contrary to the UFU’s stance of using the package to benefit all livestock sectors, NI dairy campaign group Fair Price Farming argue that the package only came about on the back of lobbying by dairy farming representatives and so should remain in the sector.
So far, DAERA Minister Michelle McIlveen has said that she has made the case for NI to receive a significant share of the UK £30m envelope. “I am currently considering the options for how best to use our allocation and will make a further announcement about this aid at the earliest opportunity,” she said earlier this week.
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