Farmers across Northern Ireland are glad to see the back of
2012 as it was a very difficult year for the farming community on a range of
fronts. The higher costs of feed and fuel coupled with less than adequate farm
gate prices compounded by very poor weather all added up to a very difficult
year.
2013 hopefully will be a better year for farmers and the
farming community generally. The entire future of farming over the next 10
years will be determined by Cap Reform currently being negotiated in Brussels.
Given that Ireland will host the presidency of the EU for the first six months
of 2013, all farmers and people associated with the farming industry will be
greatly interested in how Cap negotiations may conclude in a new farming deal
for the next 5 to 7 years.
Simon Coveney the Minister for Agriculture in the Republic
will have a central role to play in the outcome of the Cap negotiations. The
vital interests of Northern Ireland agriculture must be protected and indeed enhanced
to make sure that the Agriculture and food production industry can grow and
expand over the next 5 to 10 years. The SDLP as a party and I as Agricultural Spokesperson
will continue to support and lobby for the best interests of the farming community.
The new Cap deal must strike the right balance between
support for area based provision and farm production related activities, as
well as having some enhanced grant support for those farmers that work on the
less productive, higher level ground. It is crucial that the greening
environmental considerations do not impede farm production activities or be too
cumbersome in terms of administration and needless bureaucracy for farmers.
2013 hopefully will be a better year in terms of the weather
and farm gate prices. In Northern Ireland the Agricultural Industry is greatly
dependant on export lead growth from our manufacturing food processing sector.
The 4 billion food processing industry is vital in terms of job creation and
sustained employment for both rural and urban dwellers. As SDLP Spokesperson on
Agriculture and Vice-Chairman of the Assembly Agricultural Committee I intend
to continue highlighting the interests of the farming community and the vital
economic prospects in terms of job creation and general economic well-being of
both the farmer and those engaged in the food processing industry.
Joe Byrne MLA
SDLP West-Tyrone
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