New LMC Board looks to the future

​The group will meet shortly for the first time to discuss a number of key issues.

LMC Chair, Joe Stewart explained: “I will be speaking to the new Board members on an individual basis over the coming days

“The full Board will meet for the first time in just over a fortnight.

“The agenda for that meeting will reflect the significant number of important issues, which the Commission must actively address during the period ahead.”

He added: “My first job will be to explain why there was a delay in confirming and appointing the new LMC board membership.”

There was an unfortunate delay in appointing the new LMC Board and according to the new LMC Chair, this issue came about as a direct result of the Stormont Executive’s continuing suspension.

Joe Stewart continued: “Under normal circumstances, it would have been the role of the Ministerial team at Stormont to confirm that required LMC appointees.

“However, given the fact that Stormont is not fully functioning at the present time, a political void arose.

“The situation was eventually resolved by legislation being introduced which enabled the Secretary of State to make appointments to the Board.

“Looking forward, I am happy that the legislative gap that had arisen, regarding the appointment of future board members has been addressed. And the situation that we saw arising earlier this year is unlikely to be repeated.”

Looking ahead, Joe Stewart sees the development of a new three-year strategic plan for LMC as being the number one priority for the Commission’s new team of Board members.

He added: “The current plan takes us through to the end of March next year. So the next few months will see an intense series of discussions taking place with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we have a new plan agreed within the required time frame.

“There must be a seamless transition between the out-working of the current strategic plan and the introduction of the new one.”

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“Moreover, LMC must ensure that the detail of the new strategy has the full support of all relevant stakeholder groups.

“The consultations held with these organisations over the coming months will be critical in determining the priorities identified for the new document.”

According to Joe Stewart the strategic plan represents the bedrock upon which all the activities taken by LMC are formulated.

He continued: “In my opinion, the work of the LMC has never been more important.”

To assist in the delivery against the strategic plan the LMC Board recognise the need to appoint a substantive Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the organisation.

“This process begins immediately,” confirmed Joe Stewart.

“I would like to pay tribute to the tremendous work put in by our previous CEO, Ian Stevenson, over so many years.

“He was ably assisted by a tremendous staff team. I have never come across a group of people who are so dedicated to the work that they do.

“No challenge is too big for them. Moreover, they are totally dedicated to helping secure the aims and objectives set for the Commission.”

LMC’s breadth of business activity is significant. Management of NIBL FQAS is one of their core programmes, providing the foundation for marketing and communications activities.

“A case in point is the invaluable input that we have with schools, communicating the valuable role of beef and lamb in a balanced diet to so many young people, right across Northern Ireland.”

The new LMC Chair is also mindful of the fact that Northern Ireland’s climate legislation will be fully implemented over the coming years.

At a very basic level, this will include the setting of carbon targets for the farming and food sectors during the period leading up to 2050.

Hand-in-hand with this will be a re-setting of the support measures available to local farmers in line with the new sustainability targets that have been laid down.

Joe Stewart again: “Agriculture, as a whole, needs the data to confirm that it is meeting these objectives.

“The role of LMC’s Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme in securing this information in the most effective way possible has been, quite rightly, identified.

“It was for this reason that LMC agreed to deliver a pilot scheme on behalf of the Carbon Steering Group to test the concept of this proposed data collection methodology.”

He continued: “The industry must come up with a plan to assimilate the information required from individual farm businesses to confirm that reductions in carbon footprint are being achieved across all the sectors.

“This work must include the establishment of an accurate base line measure. Moreover, this work must be undertaken in ways that ensure its delivery in the most cost efficient manner.

“LMC is happy that the use of the Farm Quality Assurance Scheme in such a way meets this requirement.”