Complete Agriculture and Horticulture Census

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA) took the decision to move the 2020 census online entirely, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

UFU deputy president David Brown said: “We are encouraging our farmers and growers who received a letter from DAERA to complete the application online. It is a legal requirement and the information members provide will be extremely valuable to the Department influencing their decision-making process and the shaping of policies. The time that farmers and growers give to this application will help provide a greater understanding of the Northern Ireland agriculture industry which DAERA can avail of to support family-run farm businesses and the wider agri-food industry.”

The UFU are disappointed about the online transition of the census application but are conscious that DAERA want to take extra precautions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Mr Brown added: “DAERA have removed the Less Favoured Area (LFA) land questions from the online census for 2020, again we are disappointed to see that this section is not included this year.

“The LFA statistics serve an important purpose and are particularly vital as discussions take place on future agricultural support. To make accurate decisions with confidence, trustworthy data is crucial.”

He said that for many of their members in rural areas, broadband connection remains a serious issue and will create major problems when completing the online form.