Minister in eye of NAP storm

A series of meetings have been held this week involving a range of industry stakeholders and union executives to decide on the next steps to oppose the NAP proposals – with legal action high on the agenda.

Whatever happens next, however, the minister cannot suggest that he wasn’t aware of the level of anger and frustration within the sector.

On Tuesday the Ulster Farmers’ Union held meetings with officials from both the Department of Agriculture and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, focusing on the scientific and practical implications of the proposed measures.

Then on Wednesday a UFU delegation put their concerns directly to the minister and his senior DAERA officials during face-to-face discussions at Stormont.

UFU president William Irvine said afterwards: “The minister acknowledged the depth of concern within the farming industry regarding the NAP proposals.

“Our discussion was robust and we made it crystal clear that the consultation process has been deeply flawed, both in its approach and in its content. There has been no economic impact assessment and no thorough engagement was carried out with stakeholders ahead of the consultation publication.

“The farming community acknowledge the need to improve water quality and we will play our part in a holistic approach, but we feel totally blindsided.

“Our members are frustrated that proposals of such magnitude have been brought forward without thorough analysis of the real-world impact on farm businesses, food production and rural livelihoods.”

The department’s proposals – currently out to consultation – have drawn criticism from all corners of the agri industry. There have even been suggestions that if implemented, they would be more destructive of the farming community than the Chancellor’s inheritance tax proposals – which resulted in ongoing street protests.

The minister promised to response to the union’s concerns shortly in writing.

While he is deliberating, however, the industry continued to prepare to oppose the NAP measures.

A meeting of agri-industry stakeholders representing a wide-range of interested parties took place yesterday (Wednesday) morning to discuss the next steps, including the potential for future legal action.

It was followed by a UFU Executive Committee meeting to determine the UFU’s course of action: “We are not ruling out legal action. Our members expect us to stand up for them, and that’s exactly what we intend to do,” said Mr Irvine.

Earlier this week Farmers For Action staged a walkout at the final themed NAP meeting to demonstrate their anger and frustration.

The FFA’s William Taylor signalled the protest at the beginning of the meeting when he stood to tell the hall: “Farmers For Action can no longer be complicit in the current Nutrient Action Programme proposals from the Department for Agriculture and the minister as they are totally unacceptable and there must be a change of direction.”

FFA committee member Sean McAuley said it was important to remember that other bodies, including Northern Ireland Water, had played a huge part in the Province’s poor water quality.

While only approximately a third of farmers in Northern Ireland were in the Lough Neagh catchment area, with a fraction of those potentially having unknown leakage problems, DAERA was imposing a “one shoe fits all” approach with the NAP proposals, he said.

The NI Farm Groups, of which FFA forms a part, have requested an urgent meeting with the minister. They are also seeking a hearing with the Agriculture Committee in Stormont.