Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle
O’Neill, was asked for her assessment of cattle markets plans to charge £150
for cattle that have been moved more than four times – an issue of great
concern to many farmers and their attempts to manage budgets. The Minister
agreed on the gravity of the issue saying that she is “gravely concerned about
how this new policy could impact on farmers”. Beef finishers who bought store
cattle earlier in the year unaware of these plans would be most affected. The
Minister responded quickly by meeting
with the NI Meat Exporters Association (NIMEA)
yesterday morning (24 Feb 2014). She informed the officials that the proposed
charges are unfair to employ at such short notice and was pleased to announce
that a new proposal is on the table. It will now be discussed with farming unions
and the markets and she is “hopeful that a practical solution to this issue can
be found”.
Mrs O’Neill also provided the chamber with an update on the
deployment of single
farm payments in response to a question from Robin Swann. Since the payment
window opened on December 1st 2013, 96.16% of payments have now been
issued. While the Minister empathised with those who have yet to receive their
payment she said that the significantly improved payment process “is a welcome
boost to the farming industry” and promised that her Department is “working
around the clock” to finalise the remaining payments. The process has been
carried out four months quicker than last year and will be even more improved
next year.
During the regular
schedule of oral questions Mrs O’Neill also updated the House on the badger
‘test and vaccinate or remove’ study, flood defences at Beragh and the spread
of Japanese Larch disease. During topical questions the Minister fielded
members’ questions on horse cruelty in Clogher Valley, the plight of fisherman
due to the extreme weather and the Clipper round-the-world race that will be
coming to Derry in June.
