Minister Poots visits farm of UFU President

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots has visited the farm of UFU President, Mr Victor Chestnutt, to see for himself some of the range of positive environmental measures that have been put in place.
Minister Poots is pictured with Victor Chestnutt, President of the Ulster Farmers Union during a visit to Mr Chestnutt’s farm in Bushmills. Photo by Aaron McCrackenMinister Poots is pictured with Victor Chestnutt, President of the Ulster Farmers Union during a visit to Mr Chestnutt’s farm in Bushmills. Photo by Aaron McCracken
Minister Poots is pictured with Victor Chestnutt, President of the Ulster Farmers Union during a visit to Mr Chestnutt’s farm in Bushmills. Photo by Aaron McCracken

The UFU President was delighted to host the visit of the Minister on his farm just outside Bushmills, along with Vice Presidents David Brown and William Irvine.

Mr Chestnutt said: “We were delighted to have the Agriculture Minister out on our family farm earlier in the week. The reason for the visit was that he wanted to see first-hand some of the range of positive environmental measures that we, like many farming families across Northern Ireland (NI), have put in place over the years.

“I have always been a supporter of incorporating environmental measures onto the farm business and encourage other farmers to do the same if and where they can. I am a member of my local Environmental Business Development Group facilitated by CAFRE and have taken advantage of the Small Woodland Grant Scheme, the Environmental Farming Scheme and the Farm Business Improvement Scheme. All of which have proved to be very beneficial for the environment, wildlife and biodiversity as well as the farm business - we’re very happy to see the return of the Irish hare on the farm.”

Minister Poots is pictured with Victor Chestnutt, President of the Ulster Farmers Union during a visit to Mr Chestnutt’s farm in Bushmills. Photo by Aaron McCrackenMinister Poots is pictured with Victor Chestnutt, President of the Ulster Farmers Union during a visit to Mr Chestnutt’s farm in Bushmills. Photo by Aaron McCracken
Minister Poots is pictured with Victor Chestnutt, President of the Ulster Farmers Union during a visit to Mr Chestnutt’s farm in Bushmills. Photo by Aaron McCracken

Running a beef and sheep enterprise with the help of wife Carol and with son David managing a dairy unit, livestock is at the core of the Chestnutt’s farm business, but like all NI farmers, they are eager to combat environmental challenges within the farming industry.

“We are very opened minded when it comes to introducing new systems and approaches onto the farm that will have a positive impact on the environment. To date, we have put in a range of measures to contribute to meeting these challenges, including solar panels, heat exchangers and low emission slurry spreading. These can all help to reduce costs, but other important measures such as planting trees, hedges and protecting water quality come at a price and farmers need to be adequately and flexibly supported to deliver these,” said Mr Chestnutt.

Welcoming the opportunity to see first-hand the measures introduced at the farm, Minister Poots said: “I’d like to thank Victor and his family for their kind invitation. It’s really encouraging to see the impressive range of measures he has taken with support from DAERA schemes such as the Small Woodland Grant Scheme, the Environmental Farming Scheme and the Farm Business Improvement Scheme. The fact that he has involved younger members of the family to help plant the trees will provide them with a lasting environmental legacy as well as fond memories in years to come.

“I was pleased to see the first positive outcomes from the Small Woodland Grant Scheme which my Department set up last year, as well as the hedging and watercourse fencing delivered by the Environmental Farming Scheme, which were worth over £15m to the industry last year. The visit allowed the opportunity for important discussion on issues surrounding the payment rates and timing and the flexibility of some schemes. As I’ve mentioned previously, following Brexit, we now have an opportunity to develop an agricultural support framework portfolio which will be better suited to local needs. Co-design, involving organisations such as the UFU, farmers and environmental stakeholders will be key in the development process.”

The Minister concluded: “I’m pleased to announce that I have secured funding for a fifth and sixth tranche of the Environmental Farming Scheme, the fifth intake of the Wider Scheme will open on the 16 August for four weeks and I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t joined the Scheme to look at the options available and consider making an application. The Small Woodland Grant Scheme is currently open for applications.”