Platform piece: We are in a period of unprecedented change for agriculture - Muir

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Six months after becoming Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, I am deeply grateful for the constructive engagement I have enjoyed with so many in our farming community.

It is very clear we face a range of challenges ahead but I have also seen so many examples of exemplar practice to be showcased and numerous opportunities to grasp.

As Minister I have prioritised engagement, travelling to meet many groups across Northern Ireland.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We are in a period of unprecedented change for Agriculture, being progressed at pace and with, I acknowledge, a degree of uncertainty about the future.

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press EyeDAERA Minister Andrew Muir. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

I have a strong and positive vision for agriculture which is resilient, environmentally and economically sustainable.

Whilst agricultural policy may have previously been known as favouring intensification, the direction is now about sustainable productivity.

The work done on the future Farm Support and Development Programme is key to this, developed through a process of co-design.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Soil Nutrient Health Scheme is invaluable and the new Farming with Nature is a key package due forintroduction.

These interventions and many others under the future Farm Support and Development Programme are important measures to helping us addressing the issues in Lough Neagh.

As I detailed to the Assembly a few weeks ago whilst agriculture has contributed to the nutrient loading in Lough Neagh over the past century and more, we must recognise that our farmers will provide a significant part of the solution in delivering the mitigating actions.

It is both unfair and wrong to castigate farmers as part of some sort of entirely unproductive and divisive blame game. Ultimately, government has to take responsibility and acknowledge that what was advocated for decades has clearly had consequences. We accept the problem and are determined to fix it collaboratively.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Lough Neagh Report is balanced with actions categorised into four key pillars – education, incentivisation and investment, regulation and enforcement.

Prevention through the pillars of education, investment and regulation is critical, it is where my heart and soul lies in the knowledge it’s much better to ensure the pollution does not occur in the first place.

Enforcement is however also important, in a balanced, fair and proportionate manner.

I do not seek to unfairly target anyone, there are many sources of the nutrient overload in Lough Neagh.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Agriculture may account for well over half but approximately a quarter is attributable to Wastewater Infrastructure and over 10% to septic tanks.

The Lough Neagh Report contains thirty-seven actions, consultation is planned on a number of them, including future use of chemical fertilisers containing phosphorus, where it is clear application is not needed and a new regulatory framework for the processing of slurry.

Sufficient funding is essential across a wide range of areas including the roll out much needed interventions like widening expansion of the one-to-one engagement under the Sustainable Catchment Programme, fencing and planting of riparian buffer zones, or the substantial investment required in wastewater Infrastructure.

There is a lot that needs done, we must move to swiftly reduce the nutrient overload.

As Minister I will continue the hard graft by engaging and shaping solutions together to the issues in front of us.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1963
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice