Farmers seek help after massive drop in income

LOCAL farmers are calling for government intervention to help stabilise the North’s agriculture industry, which recent statistics suggest was shook by a dramatic 44 per-cent fall in its total income between 2022 and 2023.

The figures, which were published by the Department of Agriculture (DAERA) earlier this week, indicate that the income of the North’s farmers dipped from £609 million to £341 million – a real terms fall of almost 50 per-cent – in the course of just 12 months.

Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has since described the huge drop as ‘disappointing’, claiming he will help farmers ‘mitigate cost and price pressures by improving their productivity and resilience’.

However, one prominent member of the local agricultural community has said farmers are not convinced by the Minister’s promises.

“Right now, what we need is purposeful and practical action, not nice words and supportive sentiments,” said Stephen Brown, chair of Ulster Farmers’ Union Mid Ulster branch.

“Farmers are already experts in promoting productivity and resilience. We have been forced to adapt and change in order to survive the challenges that the last few years have thrown at us. Bad weather, TB, crop failures, plummeting milk prices, increased fertiliser and energy costs.

“Just about anything that could go wrong has gone wrong.”

In a ministerial statement released alongside these alarming figures, the Minister identified a number of the same issues cited by Mr Brown, including the fall in milk prices and continued rise in input costs.

Fluctuations

In addition, Mr Muir said, “Fluctuating market conditions is not a new problem, but it remains a very difficult issue for farmers to address. These fluctuations are mainly due to price influences across world markets which are very much outside our control.

“Consequently, my department focuses effort on helping farmers mitigate cost and price pressures by improving their productivity and resilience, while also addressing their environmental sustainability levels.

“These are the goals of our new farm support and development programme.”

One aspect of the situation which Mr Brown remarked was missing from Minister Muir’s original statement – but which was happy to hear him discuss at the Omagh Show last week – was that of tackling Bovine TB.

“The science says that there has to be a robust programme put in place to bring down TB numbers, which, at its current rate, is ravaging herds across the country and making life very hard for beef and dairy farmers.

Another issue which the Sixmilecross man raised was the burden placed on farmers by what he described as the government’s ‘overly-ambitious environmental policy’.

“I have no issue in principle with taking a greener approach to farming, but the targets and timeframes are unrealistic.

“Again, the science agrees.

“Much like with the TB problem, what farmers need on this issue is practical support, guidance, and workable solutions.

“If the department want to help, they will have to spend money and get their hands dirty. They have to lead farmers towards a world in which their productivity is profitable.

“For many at the moment, that seems a long way off.”