Agriculture a Poor Relation in Executive Priorities
10 January 2008
In response to the Executive’s Draft Programme for Government and Budget for 2008-2011, Jim Allister QC MEP says devolution is not delivering for agriculture.
The MEP said,
“The Political Parties promised much in the run up to devolution, that a local Assembly would be a panacea for farming’s difficulties. However, the Executive’s performance to date, compounded by the priorities –or more accurately, the absence of meaningful priorities in the Draft Budget and Programme for Government is a real cause for concern.”
“There is no mention of practical initiatives such as the introduction of mandatory country of origin labelling of beef sold in the food service and catering sectors, which is being demanded by the industry. Moreover, on one hand the Executive talks of being committed to sustainable development, while on the other, there is no mention of translating this into local procurement of food for the public sector, which we know through initiatives in Scotland and elsewhere can be done.”
“The Draft Programme for Government focuses heavily on the Executive investing £45 million into improving the competitiveness of the agricultural industry. However, the reality that this is being funded by modulation deductions from farmers’ single farm payments, something completely at odds with the situation in most other EU Member States, is not mentioned. In total, Modulation deductions equate to farmers writing a cheque to Government for £163 million, which more than cancels out any competitiveness benefit.”
“Within the Draft Programme for Government, we see targets to reduce TB in cattle by 27% by 2011. Again, no clarity is given on how this target is to be achieved, and in particular, if the Executive will take the decision to actively manage TB within the wildlife reservoir. Efficiencies are to be made in the area of animal health, while it would appear that this is to be achieved through offloading costs onto industry under the guise of ‘cost sharing’.”
“It would appear agriculture is a poor relation in the Executive’s priorities as outlined in the Draft Budget and Programme for Government documents. Moreover, any promise of a financial package as a ‘Peace dividend’ would also seem to be non-existent, with the overall tone of the Budget giving the impression of an Executive strapped for cash.”
ENDS
