County Fermanagh countryside. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
Commodity watch by UFU assistant policy manager, Aileen Lawson.
With Stormont back up and running, this autumn will see the roll out of several plans and policies for consultation which will fall to the Ulster Farmers’ Union Environment Committee. Last week saw the launch of the Northern Ireland Executive’s draft Programme for Government, which paves the way for other Government documents including an Environment Improvement Plan – this is expected soon.
NAP
The NI Nutrients Action Programme (NAP), formally known as the Nitrates Action Programme, was due to be reviewed in 2022/23. Following delays, that work is now underway with a public consultation expected in the coming months.
The NAP regulations are in place to improve the use of agricultural nutrients on farms and reduce their impact on NI’s water environment. Rules were first introduced in 2007 and brought about immediate changes and improvement in how organic manures and fertilisers were managed on farms. While the recent attention on the blue-green algae in Lough Neagh has produced a negative narrative around NI agriculture and surplus nutrients, many have forgotten how far the industry has come. Before the NAP rules were in place, slurry and manure could be spread all year round, there were no minimum storage requirements, no limits on the amount that could be spread and buffer strips and spreading equipment were rarely considered.
Over the last 20 years, farmers have reduced phosphorus surpluses from a high of 17.7kg/ha in 2003 to 10.8kg/ha in 2022, and while there have been slight increases recently in the last decade, the industry is still in a better place than it was in the early 2000s. £200 million was invested in storage tanks through the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme and over £20 million in low emission slurry spreading equipment.
That being said, the UFU recognises there is more work to do in tackling nutrient surpluses on farms and improving water quality. While the Minister has already made clear his plans to consult on various additions to the NAP Regulations, there also needs to be a review of some of the existing rules that aren’t working well and may be contrary to other policies. A simple example is the rules around derogation which prevents farmers from planting legumes, yet DAERA supports and encourages these crops through the Protein Crop Scheme.
Consultation
The forthcoming NAP consultation is also likely to contain further proposals on measures to reduce ammonia emissions. Ammonia continues to be a difficult policy area and the UFU is highly frustrated at the lack of progress made, particularly around the planning protocol.
Recent meetings have allowed the UFU to make direct representation to the Minister on the need for a sensible approach when scrutinising planning applications for replacing existing buildings. If the industry is to make environmental, health and welfare improvements, then there needs to be the flexibility in planning to modernise buildings – the UFU has consistently made this point.
CAP
Also expected later this year is a public consultation on the Climate Action Plan (CAP) for NI. This will be a detailed document setting out how the first NI Carbon Budget for the 2023-2027 budgetary period will be achieved. It will cover all sectors of society with action required by everyone (including farmers), and all Government departments.
The Northern Ireland Climate Change Act (2022) contains very tough targets for the whole of society. When considering this legislation, most MLAs ignored the expert advice of the Climate Change Committee and pushed through more stringent targets that are now set in legislation. With limited budgets to deliver, the new Climate Change Act will present a very significant challenge for the NI Executive and the UFU will be carefully scrutinising the CAP and its potential impact on farmers when it is eventually published. Linked to this, work continues on the Carbon Footprinting Programme which will eventually result in every farmer in NI having a baseline measurement for emissions and carbon sequestration for their farm business.
Understanding
It is vital as discussions continue around these major policy areas that have the potential to significantly impact farm businesses, that policymakers and politicians understand the full picture. Too often we see a silo mentality where they fail to recognise the wider implications and the need for agriculture to deliver simultaneously improved animal health and welfare, a better environment, reductions in greenhouse gases and ammonia, better health and safety on farm and at the same time produce safe, nutritious and affordable food in a changing climate. In delivering all this, the farm must also remain profitable – something that tends to be forgotten and the UFU highlight this at every opportunity.
All of the above will make for a busy autumn for the UFU Environment Committee who will take the lead in these policy areas. The Environment Committee is made up of representatives from each of the UFU policy committees ensuring that all farming sectors and all areas are represented, resulting in robust debate before a UFU position is drafted. Detailed discussions will be had to ensure that the UFU continues, as directed in our mission statement, ‘to serve its members by promoting and supporting a vibrant and sustainable rural economy where agriculture is secure and pivotal to its future’.
