UFU Deputy President William Irvine on his County Armagh farm. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
The Ulster Farmers’ Union has now received a draft of the terms of reference for the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) Stakeholder Task and Finish Group and has been notified that a chair has been appointed.
UFU president William Irvine said, “We have now received a draft of the terms of reference for the NAP Task and Finish Group and will consider these in consultation with our UFU environment committee and legal team before making any decision on future participation. We do have concerns about the level of representation being offered to the UFU. Currently, we have only been offered three seats which does not reflect the size, scope and diversity of the sectors we represent. On previous groups of this nature, the UFU has typically held four or five seats, which we believe is a more appropriate and balanced approach.”
Subject to those terms being agreed, the UFU believes the next step in the NAP process should be to give the stakeholder group sufficient time and space to engage meaningfully.
