Northern Ireland industry task force seek targeted support

Several Northern Ireland industry groups have come together to highlight what can be done to help shape the future of agricultural policy for the Northern Irish sheep sector. 

The Sheep Industry Taskforce, made up of representatives from NSA Northern Ireland Region, Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association (NIMEA), Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA), the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), and Ulster Wool, has looked at issues associated with the breeding sheep sector and how future targeted support could help the sector increase its productivity, environmental sustainability, improve its resilience and have an effective functioning supply chain. A key objective of the taskforce was to provide DAERA with a robust evidence-based report outlining the industry’s vision for the future. This has now been completed and has been included in a letter publicly released and also sent to DAERA representatives. The group hope to gain targeted support for its proposals for sustainability measures for the Northern Irish sheep sector.

The Taskforce has developed a vision for the development of the NI sheep industry. A resilient, vibrant, and sustainable industry that uses leading edge technologies to deliver safe high-quality meat and wool through increased productivity while adding value by increasing carbon sequestration, reducing greenhouse gas intensity, and enhancing landscape biodiversity while maintaining the mosaic landscape of our hills and uplands and securing social cohesion.

As part of its evidence-based report, the group also looked at providing a vision for a stimulus package to support the development of the sector believing this will encourage capital investment and adopt best practice to drive resilience, animal productivity, skills development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.