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In response to rising animal feed prices, Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has encouraged consumers in Northern Ireland to support local farmers by making the choice at the supermarket to buy local pig and poultry produce first.

Mr Nicholson also welcomed the emergency meeting held last night by the Ulster’s Farmer’s Union in Cookstown, which sought to highlight the issue and the grave crisis facing our pig and poultry producers.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“Buying locally produced food is one way consumers in Northern Ireland can help to support our pig and poultry farmers who, because of huge increases in animal feed prices, are experiencing tough times at the minute. Supermarkets will also have to respond immediately to these worsening market conditions.

“Events on the global stage and at a local level are conspiring against the farming industry in Northern Ireland. The poor weather and flooding during the summer coupled with drought in some of the Southern Hemisphere countries and an increase in demand from the biofuel sector are driving feed prices through the roof and Europe’s zero tolerance approach to GMO produced grain is simply compounding matters further.

“As I warned last week, we have been used, over the past 20 years or so, to low food prices and the availability of an abundance of food within the EU but as the butter and Milk Mountains have melted away, what we could be left facing in Europe in the next 10 to 15 years is a real issue over food security.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has described today’s decision in the High Court to overturn the controversial planning regulation PPS 14 as a ‘victory for Northern Ireland’s rural communities.’

However, he warned that now was the time to address the serious flaws in the planning service, which Mr Nicholson says are “plagued by a lack of accountability and crippling delays.”

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“I fully recognise the need for a balanced and pragmatic planning policy which meets the needs and requirements of our fast and ever–changing rural and urban communities. However, communities and families in rural areas across Northern Ireland have suffered greatly because of the ill thought out PPS 14.

“The proposals were too restrictive and didn’t even allow for farm families to build family dwellings on their property. Instead we must have a policy which balances development in rural areas with the need to preserve the character and heritage of those areas. The Government failed to get the consent of rural communities at the outset and as such the regulation was always going to be fatally undermined.

“The Environment Minister must now find an acceptable alternative, which reflects those concerns and also use the opportunity to address the serious flaws in the planning service.

“The current state of the service leaves me hugely dissatisfied. It has failed to serve the public in a transparent, effective and accountable manner. The backlog of proposals is now so high that arguably the system is on the verge of meltdown.

“Delays have brought the planning process to its knees. So much so that development opportunities are put at risk or missed altogether. Delays in the planning process are frustrating job creation, economic development and are partly responsible for a significant shortfall in economic growth in Northern Ireland. Problems with planning are having a destabilising effect on the rural economy compounded by young people not entering the agricultural industry, as they do not see it as a viable career option.”

Following todays debate at the Assembly Ulster Unionist MLA has said that it is important to recognise that the future economic prosperity of Fermanagh and the West of the Province is not confined to just the Department of Enterprise trade and Investment.

Mr Elliott said: “One of the greatest drawbacks to providing a stronger economic base is our roads and transport infrastructure.

“In Fermanagh the road network is self evident by the sheer volume of HGV traffic that make up the daily traffic flow.
“In the county town of Enniskillen the gridlock that occurs during peak times is without doubt a negative in terms of those operating in business or industry by adding to journey times, increasing fuel consumption and resulting in unnecessary additional carbon emissions and pollution.

“A report published in April 2002, commissioned by Fermanagh District Council entitled “Assessment of Dependence on Transportation Infrastructure” gave great insight into this important issue, and although it is over five years old I would suspect that the majority of the concerns expressed in that study remain largely unaddressed by government.

“The report noted that the investment in our roads is lower relative to England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, of specific interest to this motion was the lack of strategic corridors linking the border regions with the rest of the Province.

“Furthermore consultees from business and industry made it quite clear that the state of the roads network was negatively impacting upon competitiveness.

“Sectors which represent a large proportion of private business in the west, manufacturing, quarrying and other heavy industries have a high reliance on the road network for moving raw materials or finished products and the costs imposed by poor infrastructure do place a pressure on such enterprises that threatens profitability.

“When this assembly is trying to bring about a reduced reliance on public sector employment, trying to increase private enterprise it is key that what the Province is good at, what it can export globally at high return does not have obstacles put in its way by the lack of joined up thinking and investment in our roads.

“In the study 53.7% of the local businesses consulted had transport costs representing over 20% of their overheads, for over 75% of the firms the costs were over 10% of overheads.

Tom concluded: “We must recognise that one of the greatest negative factors facing the local economy is the roads and transport infrastructure.”

UUP MLA for Mid-Ulster and farmer Billy Armstrong today took the Agriculture Minister to task for refusing to champion Northern Ireland Beef during Minister’s Question Time in the Assembly today,

In a statement Mr. Armstrong said,

“In her statement today in the recent Foot and Mouth outbreak, Minister Gildernew disappointingly decided not to take the opportunity to act as a champion of Northern Ireland beef. Northern Ireland’s farmers and consumers are confronted by the reality of cheap, inferior Brazilian beef imports. I raised this matter with the Minister in early August and was hoping she would in today’s statement become a persuader on behalf of Northern Ireland beef. It was disappointing too that even today in her speech she could not bring herself to refer to Northern Ireland, instead using ‘the North’.

Everyone is fully aware that the Northern Ireland Assembly cannot legislate to prevent the importing of Brazilian beef. However, the Minister could and should use her position to encourage supermarkets to offer consumers quality beef, guaranteed by the highest food traceability, environmental protections and animal welfare standards.

As the recent Ulster Farmers Union – Irish Farmers Association joint statement made clear, our hard-earned and closely protected FMD-free status is threatened by Brazilian beef imports. FMD is endemic in Brazil and traceability standards are, to say the least, incredibly poor. Boasting about our bio-security standards while failing to challenge supermarkets who import Brazilian beef is nonsensical.

I fully support the call by Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson for an EU-wide ban on Brazilian beef imports. Europe’s consumers deserve nothing less than quality beef”.”

Ulster Unionist Environment and Planning Spokesman, Sam Gardiner MLA, said today that he was not in the least surprised that Lord Justice Gillen had ruled the action of former direct rule Environment Minister Lord Rooker unlawful.

“This action by Lord Rooker was typical of the highhandedness of the latter days of the Hain regime and betrayed an indifference to both public opinion and common sense. It is hardly a surprise that the Courts would overrule this.”

“The countryside must not suffer from bungalow blight but at the same time it cannot become a massive, empty regional park. The countryside needs to be nurtured and developed in a sympathetic, intelligent and sustainable way.”

“No-one is suggesting unrestrained development - or what some refer to as ‘bungalow blight.’ What amounted to a virtual blanket ban on development in PPS14 was equally insupportable.”

“A series of rational ways forward must now be found to address rural planning. In the meantime, I hope not too much planning time is wasted and planning delays caused by the inevitable round of appeals that will follow hard on the heels of this legal ruling.”

Ulster Unionist Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tom Elliott today welcomed the decision in the courts to overturn the controversial PPS 14 ruling which affects planning and development in rural areas.

In a statement Mr Elliott said,

“I always felt that Lord Rooker’s decision to impose PPS 14 was akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. It was an affront to rural communities and an insult to local government decision makers who ultimately have their areas best interests at heart.

Nobody wants to see a mushrooming of properties in our countryside but equally imposing an effective blanket ban is no solution. The right balance has to be struck and this proposal did not offer any balance.

We want to protect the countryside from random and unsightly development whilst allowing for sustainable development and the enrichment of rural communities. Many are already feeling isolated as it is with school and post office closures.

It will be up to the Assembly and Executive to find a middle way that ensures that country people have an opportunity to build within certain parameters whilst the unique beauty that our countryside offers is protected and has integrity.”

In response to rising animal feed prices, Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has encouraged consumers in Northern Ireland to support local farmers by making the choice at the supermarket to buy local pig and poultry produce first.

Mr Nicholson also welcomed the emergency meeting held last night by the Ulster’s Farmer’s Union in Cookstown, which sought to highlight the issue and the grave crisis facing our pig and poultry producers.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“Buying locally produced food is one way consumers in Northern Ireland can help to support our pig and poultry farmers who, because of huge increases in animal feed prices, are experiencing tough times at the minute. Supermarkets will also have to respond immediately to these worsening market conditions.

“Events on the global stage and at a local level are conspiring against the farming industry in Northern Ireland. The poor weather and flooding during the summer coupled with drought in some of the Southern Hemisphere countries and an increase in demand from the biofuel sector are driving feed prices through the roof and Europe’s zero tolerance approach to GMO produced grain is simply compounding matters further.

“As I warned last week, we have been used, over the past 20 years or so, to low food prices and the availability of an abundance of food within the EU but as the butter and Milk Mountains have melted away, what we could be left facing in Europe in the next 10 to 15 years is a real issue over food security.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has launched a high profile campaign this evening in the European Parliament in Strasbourg to ban imports of Brazilian beef to the EU.

Mr Nicholson, along with Conservative MEP Neil Parish, Chairman of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee and 3 other MEPs have co sponsored a written declaration in the Parliament calling on the European Commission to ban beef imports from Brazil.

This issue featured high on the agenda when Mr Parish visited Northern Ireland last month to meet with representatives from the local farming industry.

Momentum for a ban on Brazilian beef imports has been growing since the European Parliament’s agriculture committee heard damning evidence in July, about the standards of Brazilian beef, from the Irish Farmers Association and Irish Farmers Journal who visited Brazil in May to investigate the situation.

Speaking from Strasbourg this evening Mr Nicholson said,

“It is time the European Commission took its head out of the sand on this issue. Brazilian beef is banned from entering the US, South Korea and other countries because, time after time, it has been proven to be of a sub – standard nature. Traceability is non-existent, there are no controls at regional borders, no controls on animal movement and there are risks of further Foot and Mouth outbreaks.

“At present Northern Ireland’s farmers must comply with the high standards laid down by the EU in terms of health, food safety and traceability so why shouldn’t imports coming into the EU from other countries do the same? The reality is that if Brazilian beef imports are continued to be allowed into the EU then more and more farmers in Northern Ireland and across Europe risk being put out of business. With the cost of production rising, it is hard to see how our farmers can compete with these cheap imports.”

Yesterday’s (Tuesday) meeting of the Assembly’s Agriculture and Rural Development committee has been described as “extremely useful” by the vice chairman, Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott.

The committee was recalled by the Minister, Michelle Gildernew, to discuss DARD’s budgetary priorities and areas where the department proposes to make efficiency savings in the years ahead.

Speaking from Stormont Mr. Elliott said: “There had been some speculation that the DARD committee would meet during recess to discuss budgetary priorities, and I am glad that we were indeed given such an opportunity to meet with departmental officials. A number of important issues were on the agenda and to have some groundwork done before the Assembly sits in September is, I believe, of benefit to the agricultural sector.

“The DARD budget has many commitments to meet and to see the funds broken down to the various projects and schemes improves our understanding of what the money is being used for. Schemes including the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme, the processing and marketing capital grant scheme and the planned work on Kilkeel Harbour all feature in the budgetary priorities.

“I was however concerned that a number of matters were not addressed in the department’s budget priorities, firstly that the Rural Development Programme does not have inter-departmental involvement, I firmly believe that a collaborative approach involving DSD, DRD, DEL, DHSSPS etc is necessary for lasting development in our rural areas. DARD officials did however give me an undertaking that this issue would be explored further, which was positive.”

Tom continued by explaining a number of other issues that he had highlighted, including the need for the decentralisation of DARD staff outside the greater Belfast area, particularly as the department deals with rural issues, and his concerns that the costs for the maintenance of APHIS other IT equipment and general capital expenditure (£14.13m in years 1-3 and £32.96m in years 4-10) be kept under control by the department.

Turning to the efficiency gains outlined by DARD, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone assemblyman said: “With regards the savings that DARD intends to make I do have some concern about the £2m to be saved yearly from 2008/09 to 2010/11 from the LFACA scheme. It is proposed that these savings can be achieved without the payments made to farmers actually being reduced, with voluntary modulation being used to make up the shortfall in farmers’ money, however I do not want to see other areas of funding being scaled back as a result of this drive to make savings.

“On a more positive note, assurances have been given by DARD officials that the remaining portion of the LFACA funding will commence payment on 12th September, with the majority of businesses receiving this money by the end of September.

“With regards the projected savings to be made in the field of Animal Health Responsibility and Cost Sharing, this is to be realised partly by the department withdrawing computers and staff from marts and I have concerns that farmers may ultimately have to pick up the tab for animal testing, I don’t think that would be a desirable development.”

In conclusion Tom added: “I am glad that the committee has been able to meet with DARD officials ahead of the assembly reconvening, it has allowed us to scrutinise matters in advance and means we can hit the ground running as of 10th September, which can only be good for Northern Ireland farmers.”

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, Tom Elliott, has thanked Conservative MEP, Neil Parish for taking the time to meet with and take questions from a group of farmers and representatives of Fermanagh’s independent retailers during his recent visit to the Province.

Mr. Parish, chairman of the European Union’s influential agriculture committee, was on a visit to Northern Ireland at the invitation of Ulster Unionist MEP, Jim Nicholson.

Speaking after the meeting at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, Mr. Elliott said: “I think I speak for all those present today when I say how glad we were to welcome Neil and his wife Sue to County Fermanagh.

“With the recent cases of FMD in England Neil’s schedule is even busier than normal, his participation here this evening is therefore appreciated even more by the local farming community.”

The Ulster Unionist assemblyman continued: “The theme for this evening’s meeting was the promotion of local produce, in terms of retailers sourcing from local suppliers and ultimately the consumer making the decision to buy local which signals to shopkeepers that such an initiative is a profitable one to pursue.

“The example being promoted today is that of local, County Fermanagh milk, this initiative sees the local dairy industry and independent retailers working in concert to promote and educate with regards the many qualities of locally produced milk.”

Tom concluded by wishing the scheme well, and added: “I hope that such a partnership can act as a template for many similar initiatives in the months ahead and help improve the operating environment for local growers and producers.”