Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • FREE Magazine Subscriptions
    •  
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Poultry News
    • Production
      • Broiler Production
      • Ducks
      • Egg Production
      • Game
      • Hatching
      • Housing
      • Turkeys
    • Processing
    • Business & Politics
      • Business
      • Economics
      • EU & Politics
      • Marketing
      • People
      • Training & Education
    • Welfare
      • Environment
      • Food Safety
      • Vet & Medication
      • Welfare
    • Feed
    • Genetics
    • New Products
    • Magazines
      1. May 2022
      2. April 2022
      3. February 2022
      4. January 2022
      5. December 2021
      6. November 2021
      Featured

      Protected: Poultry Business – April 2022

      By Chloe RyanApril 7, 2022
      Recent

      Protected: Poultry Business – May 2022

      May 6, 2022

      Protected: Poultry Business – April 2022

      April 7, 2022

      Protected: Poultry Business – March 2022

      March 8, 2022
    • Jobs
      • Browse Jobs
      • Post a Job
      • Manage Jobs
    • Events
      • National Egg and Poultry Awards
      • Poultry Fair
    Poultry News
    Production

    Remove ammonia measures from Nitrates Action Programme, says UFU

    Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanMarch 8, 20193 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    The Ulster Farmers’ Union is calling on DAERA to take a “common sense approach” and remove the ammonia measures from its proposed changes to the Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). UFU president, Ivor Ferguson says while ammonia is a crucial issue for the farming industry, bolting it on to Northern Ireland’s nitrates programme is nonsensical and counterproductive.

    The comments were made following the UFU’s February Executive meeting where the organisation’s response to DAERA’s consultation on the EU Commission’s review of Northern Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme was discussed.

    “We are seriously concerned and cannot accept the majority of the proposed changes to NI’s current Nitrates Action Programme. If implemented they will have a hugely detrimental effect on local farm businesses and, in fact, the entire agri-food industry as a whole,” said Ferguson.

    The UFU says the suggestion to cover new outdoor slurry stores from 1 January 2020 and existing stores by 2022 is just one example of the totally unworkable proposals coming from DAERA. Ferguson said ultimately it will all add additional cost, paperwork and frustration to farm family businesses. “This is not acceptable. It is vital that NI secures an approved Nitrates derogation but we must not cripple the industry in the process,” he said.

    DAERA have also included a number of measures relating to ammonia in the proposals. Something the UFU fiercely opposes. “DAERA have attempted to slip in measures aimed at tackling ammonia such as the covering of tanks, banning of urea and phasing out of splash plates. Work is already underway on an Ammonia Action Plan and these measures are better discussed and consulted on as part of that process. This sneaky, back door approach – when civil servants take liberties in the absence of government ministers – is totally unacceptable,” said the UFU president.

    The UFU says farmers recognise the importance of caring for the environment but don’t get enough credit for the work they already do. Ferguson said: “Farmers work day in and day out looking after the countryside. They have had to adopt complicated programmes and invest significant amounts to comply with UK and EU regulations that have helped to improve water quality over the last decade.”

    While farmers accept more needs to be done, Ferguson says rigid systems with ruthless enforcement will not work. “There are mountains of evidence to show catchment based approaches – working with local farmers and other partners – is the best way to achieve results. The Sustainable Agriculture Land Management Strategy has recommended this as a way forward and I would strongly encourage DAERA to embrace this method when it comes to tackling water quality and ammonia,” he said.

    The UFU has detailed its concerns and opposition to the proposals in its consultation response, which is to be submitted to the DAERA before 19 March.

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleNew farming minister appointed
    Next Article Reciprocal tariffs needed in event on no deal
    Chloe Ryan

    Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

    Read Similar Stories

    Egg Production

    Free-range producers prepare to market eggs as barn as housing order continues

    March 16, 2022
    Egg Production

    Improving eggshell quality

    March 16, 2022
    Broiler Production

    Technical feature: aiding digestion

    March 16, 2022
    Most Read

    Australia’s biggest chicken processors to fix unfair contracts with farmers after ACCC investigation

    May 26, 2022

    Egg prices could rise as much as 21% this year as Bird Flu hits the US

    May 26, 2022

    Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the UK and Europe

    May 25, 2022
    © 2022 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
    Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • AA Farmer
    • Farm Contractor
    • Pig World
    • OvertheCounter

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    AWSALBCORS7 daysThis cookie is managed by Amazon Web Services and is used for load balancing.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
    PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    CookieDurationDescription
    AWSALB7 daysAWSALB is a cookie generated by the Application load balancer in the Amazon Web Services. It works slightly different from AWSELB.
    explat_test_aa_weekly_lohp_2021_week_4517 days 8 hoursNo description
    ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
    tk_ai14 daysGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
    tk_qssessionGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    CookieDurationDescription
    OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
    OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
    _gat_gtag_UA_31822138_71 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
    _gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
    tk_lr1 yearThe tk_lr is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
    tk_or5 yearsThe tk_or is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
    tk_r3d3 daysJetPack installs this cookie to collect internal metrics for user activity and in turn improve user experience.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo