Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:30 pm on 10 September 2024.
David Brooks
DUP
2:30,
10 September 2024
T7. Mr Brooks asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs whether, in view of recent statistics that show that the number of dairy farmers is in decline across the UK, as he will know, with 440 farmers exiting the industry in the year preceding April 2024, he will outline what steps he is taking to support local dairy farmers to remain profitable and in the industry. (AQT 507/22-27)
Andrew Muir
Alliance
I thank the Member for his question. Often, in Northern Ireland, you are talking about family farms and businesses, and I take that seriously. That is why we are rolling out packages and measures in the future farm support programme. The focus of that is on building resilience in the industry, with the complete guiding aim of sustainable productivity, because that is where we are on that. We are engaging with people as we roll out those packages and measures, but, in my role as Minister, I am determined to deliver a strong future for agriculture in Northern Ireland. That means having a situation in which environmental and economic sustainability go hand in hand. It is critical that we get to that. Previous policy was about favouring intensification, but we are clearly focused on sustainable productivity now.
David Brooks
DUP
Will the Minister outline what avenues he is supporting to ensure that young people who want to seek a career as a primary producer have a pathway and support to get into the industry in that way?
Carál Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin
Minister, you have less than a minute.
Andrew Muir
Alliance
This is one of the packages of measures that we are looking at as part of the future farm support development programme. We need to be able to encourage more people into the industry. My vision is that, in time, we will have a situation where more people want to get into the industry than there is availability. There is one key issue around this, which is about land use and land use management. We want to be able to encourage people to pass land through the generations. That is something that we are going to explore in the time ahead.
Carál Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin
2:45,
10 September 2024
Thank you, Minister. That ends Question Time and topical questions to the Minister.
We are going to return to the debate on budgetary pressures. We need to wait for the Minister of Finance. I ask Members to take their ease until the Minister arrives. OK, Nuala?
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