Question Time: Agriculture and Rural Development Tuesday 17 June 2014
The
Department for Agriculture and Rural Development will support the dairy
industry through the turbulence that may occur when milk quota limits end in
2015. That was the assurance from Agriculture Minister, Michelle O’Neill,
during today’s question
time. The milk quota was introduced in the EU in 1984 to address the
problem of over-production but caps will be removed in 2015 meaning there will
no longer be constraints on production (click here
for more information on the milk quota system and here
for more information on how the removal of caps may effect farmers). Mrs O’Neill
believes “the dairy sector has the potential to grow further and to exploit the
opportunities arising from the predicted expansion in world population”.
The Minister
also provided an update on the reform of single
farm payments (the agricultural support offered to farmers). An extensive
public consultation began in October 2013 as the Minister seeks out all views
on the matter. In response to Joanne Dobson’s criticism of the drawn-out
process in coming to an agreement, Mrs O’Neill countered that “I will not be
rushed into decisions. We are talking about £2 billion of money. I
am not going to be rushed into a decision just to please people” adding that “The
allocation of almost €2 billion of taxpayers’ money over the remainder of this
decade has to be done carefully, wisely and fairly”. The Minister also assured
that she is mindful of the 1 August 2014 deadline to notify the European
Commission of our implementation plans, and it is my intention that we will be
in a position to have an agreed CAP pillar 1 structure before that date.
Other
Members were concerned that returning to a flat-rate distribution could have a devastating
impact on farmers but the Minister assured the House that the views of all
stakeholders will be carefully considered before any agreement is reached
saying, “nobody has said that they did not have the ear of the Minister,
because I made sure that my officials engaged at town hall meetings and at
community centres”.
Also
discussed during question time was the fisheries task force, the Going for
Growth strategy and the relocation of DARD headquarters.
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