Ulster Farmers’ Union Deputy President Ian Marshall has welcomed the news that the ‘Agri-Food Loan Scheme’ (AFLS) has been re-opened for poultry and has encouraged farmers thinking of expanding or diversifying their business to take their time and do their research before making decisions.
UFU Deputy President Ian Marshall continued; “The Union is supportive of the roll out of the Agri-Food Strategy Board (AFSB) report and is delighted to see a commitment from Government to help finance growth. However, profitability for all partners in the supply chain, including primary producers, is a central principle to the AFSB’s ‘Going for Growth’ report and something the Union is committed to seeing delivered on. The first phase of the AFLS is targeted at the poultry industry and anyone considering becoming a grower or expanding their business needs to think carefully of what this will involve. There is the initial cost of the poultry houses; loan repayment; the extent of production management control; details of bonus payments; and the cost of labour are among the big issues that need to be factored in.
“Also, it is encouraging to hear that discussions are on-going to examine the possibility of rolling out the AFLS to other agri-food sectors. The Union will continue to monitor the situation and feed into discussions,” he concluded.