UFU reiterates stance on Bill

“Since the introduction of the Climate Change Act in 2008 we have been fully engaged as an industry in looking at ways to reduce the carbon intensity of our produce and deliver greater farm efficiency and profitability,” said UFU deputy president Barclay Bell.

In 2011 the ‘Efficient Farming Cuts Greenhouse Gases’ strategy and action plan was adopted by the industry. This has been effective in reducing emissions.

“Farmers will continue to drive efficiency and good practise, but, further progress to reduce emissions has to be manageable and affordable,” warned Mr Bell.

In its response to the consultation the UFU has said it does not believe regional legislation would bring Northern Ireland any additional commercial advantage.

“We believe imposing new legislation would reduce our competitiveness and drive food production overseas where standards are less stringent. Simply exporting the problem will not reduce overall GHG emissions,” stressed Mr Bell.

Local legislation would also be an administrative burden with additional reporting requirements. “The industry would be left vulnerable to any failure to meet arbitrary targets, set without a robust economic analysis of their impact,” he said.

The UFU said in its response that the local agri-food industry has demonstrated its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It believes recommendations from the Agri-Food Strategy Board are further evidence of the industry’s commitment on environmental issues.

“To implement further legislation can only hamper growth at a cost to potential jobs, while raising new red tape for farmers,” said Mr Bell.