‘Clear opportunities’ for farmers who can use protein crops to lower costs

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Positive behavioural change amongst farmers and land managers is “key to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the agriculture sector”, the Agriculture Minister has said.

Minister Edwin Poots was responding to a written assembly question tabled by Sinn Fein MLA, Declan McAleer.

The West Tyrone assemblyman asked Mr Poots to share his assessment of how moving away from protein crop imports would help farm businesses become more sustainable.

The Agriculture Minister explained that, to be sustainable, agriculture must meet the needs of present and future generations, “while ensuring profitability, environmental health and social and economic equity”.

“Resource efficiency within agriculture will not only help drive enhanced productivity, it will also help deliver better environmental outcomes by avoiding unnecessary inputs and minimising losses to the environment,” Mr Poots commented.

“In many instances, enhanced productivity (if well managed) and environmental sustainability are complementary objectives.

Northern Ireland is currently almost totally dependent on imported soya and other proteins in the manufacture of animal feed.

“In 2019, the use of soya alone in feedstuffs manufacture was 369,000 tonnes and, adding other high protein animal feeds, brings this total to over half a million tonnes.

“There are clear opportunities for farmers who can use protein crops to lower their own feed costs and increase farm profitability, and also to create a sustainable supply of locally produced protein crops for local farmers.”

The Agriculture Minister said the pilot ‘Protein Crops Scheme’ has been introduced to encourage “best practice” in crop rotation, pest management and crop diversity, thereby contributing to a “more sustainable” farm business.

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