Northern Ireland’s single farm payment budget is to drop by 9% in 2024, according to Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president, David Brown.
This is to facilitate the funding of the new Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme, which commenced on January 1.
Brown addressed this matter at the UFU presidential area meeting in Co. Down this week (Monday, January 8).
He explained that the new measure will, in effect, provide a headage payment for cattle that meet specific age-at-slaughter criteria.
“In 2024, the target age is 30 months. However, this figure will decrease incrementally over the next four years, by which time the target slaughter age will be reduced to 26 months,” he said.
“The monies available will go to those farmers who owned the cattle during 60 of the animal’s last 100 days of life. The union lobbied to have the measure introduced in such a manner.
“The option of introducing a slaughter payment would have disadvantaged many farmers who made the investment to get the age at slaughter reduced, but who opt to sell their cattle in the live ring.”
UFU chief executive, Wesley Aston told the meeting that it would take £25 million to fund the Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme in 2024.
“This amounts to between 8.5% and 9% of Northern Ireland’s total farm support budget,” Aston said.
The union envisages that payments under the new measure will commence towards the end of 2024.
UFU
Turning to the broader issue of future farm support in Northern Ireland, David Brown confirmed that the UFU will be lobbying to have the current £300 million annual budget increased.
“The £300 million figure was established quite a number of years ago. Inflation alone has reduced its value to farmers in real terms.
“So, it is time for the government in Westminster to actively address this matter,” Brown said.
Brown made it clear, however, that getting any form of support funding increase from the UK government will prove difficult at the present time.
“The existing measures remain in place until the end of the current parliamentary dispensation,” he continued.
“After that, we could well be looking at a completely different political landscape, particularly if the Labour Party wins the next general election,” he added.
The UFU president indicated that the agreed farm support changes will start to come on stream during 2025 and beyond.
“The new suckler cow scheme is a case in point. Its introduction has been delayed because of the need to introduce accompanying secondary legislation,” he said.
“Making this happen will require the input of a sitting Stormont Executive.”
Climate action
David Brown indicated strongly that the issue of climate change and the need to reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture across the UK, Ireland and the rest of the European Union is the only context within which farm support is being discussed at the present time.
“We have already seen the introduction of the Environmental Land Management Scheme in England and Wales.
“The EU is also focusing on the need to reduce emission levels generated by production agriculture.
“However, here in Northern Ireland, our previous farm minister did recognise the need to retain the production capacity of agriculture.
“One out-working of this policy has been the commitment given by the department of agriculture not to look at any form of livestock numbers reduction scheme, certainly before 2027,” he said.