Country Life

Countdown to April deadline for Single Farm Payment

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is reminding farmers the deadline for submitting applications to transfer Single Farm Payment (SFP) entitlements for 2012 is fast approaching. The closing date for the receipt of applications at DARD is Monday 2 April 2012.

O'Neill Urges Farmers To Plant New Woodlands

IT’S time to get planting! Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has called on farmers to help increase woodland cover across the north of Ireland by planting more trees. The Minister was speaking after a visit to woodland belonging to Mr Robert Chesney, near Toomebridge, County Antrim, which received support from the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013.

South Down Sinn Féin Calls For Better Rural Broadband

Sinn Féin MLA Willie Clarke has said that broadband needs to be as accessible in rural areas as it is in urban areas. Mr Clarke said, “The Department of Enterprise, Trade & Investment needs to do more to make sure that rural communities have broadband access. I have tabled a question in the Assembly on dealing specifically with the deficit of broadband access for the rural community in South Down.

Comber Spud Wins Protected EU Status

THE popular Comber spud has been awarded special EU status. Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA pictured with potato growers Robin McKee and son Ivan celebrating their newly gained status. The popular Comber spud has gone up in the world. New Season Comber Potatoes have become the second product from the north of Ireland to have been granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status under EU law.

Ritchie Appointed To Top Westminster Rural Committee

SOUTH Down MP Margaret Ritchie has been congratulated by party colleague Delores Kelly MLA, SDLP Upper Bann MLA and Deputy Chair of the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee, on her prestigious appointment to the House of Commons Select Committee for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA).

New Rural Development In Action Plan Launched

AGRICULTURE and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill has launched a new guide which highlights the range of activities which are taking place across the north with help from the NI Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (NIRDP).

Downpatrick Man Fair Game For Rural Oscars

In the world of country sports and country life one local name stands out from the crowd - local Downpatrick businessman and rural champion, Albert Titterington. Albert’s unfaltering allegiance to all countryside matters has recently received its due recognition and he has been short-listed for the prestigious Countryside Alliance Ireland Awards. Nicknamed the 'Rural Oscars', the awards celebrate the characters, skills, traditions and enterprise of the countryside through the people who work so hard to sustain these values.

Heavy Fines For Dumping Waste On Farm

COUNTY Down farmer Graham Furey, Comber Road, Downpatrick has been fined a total of £20,000 for four offences at Downpatrick Crown Court for permitting the illegal deposit of waste on his land at Ballyhornan Road near Downpatrick. The dumping took place between 2003 and 2008 and involved 1,900 tonnes of waste.

East Down Foxhounds Enjoy Hunt

The Boxing Day hunt of the East Down Foxhounds is always a big social occasion. As the horses gathered at Seaforde this year joined by horses from the Tullymurry stables, a group of around 30 headed across the Lecale countryside looking for their quarry…. a fox .

O’Neill Meets Gangmasters Licencing Authority

AGRICULTURE and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill has met the recently appointed Chair of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), Ms Margaret McKinlay. The GLA was set up by the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 and regulates those who supply labour or use workers to provide services in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, shellfish gathering and food processing and packaging.

Commending the work of the GLA, Minister O’Neill said: “Enforcement activities undertaken by the GLA in the North of Ireland play a key role in curbing the exploitation of vulnerable workers and in ensuring labour providers are fully compliant with legal requirements.

My Department is fully committed to achieving equality outcomes for vulnerable groups, and I fully endorse the efforts of the GLA. “All employers are legally obliged to deal only with licensed labour providers and I am pleased my Department is able to contribute towards the costs of providing vulnerable workers here in the north, with access to the protection they need.”

In recent years along the Northern Ireland coast including County Down and in Strangford Lough, groups of migrant forieign workers have been collecting winkles from the shore on a commercial basis and this affects the local biodiversity as well as breaching the terms of the legislation covering the organisation and employment of groups to perform this work.

O’Neill Launches 2012 Postgraduate Research Awards

AGRICULTURE and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill, today launched the annual Postgraduate Agricultural and Food Research Awards 2012.

Announcing the awards, the Minister said: “The Postgraduate research awards are one key mechanism by which we secure priority research identified in our Evidence & Innovation Strategy 2009-2013. Stakeholders from research, industry and other rural interests play a vital role in helping us to identify and refine our evidence and innovation needs and priorities.

My Department currently funds 22 PhD students who are carrying out three year research projects. We will offer a further eight awards for research commencing in October 2012.” The Minister launched the awards with Joe Black from Belfast, who is a past recipient of an award. His research focussed on the local pig sector. He monitored parasite infection levels in swine herds and examined effective control methods vital for sustainability of the sector.

He said: "The three years of research were hard work, but I really enjoyed the challenge. I want to thank the local pig producers for their co-operation and also DARD for funding me during the three years. I would strongly recommend to anyone interested in specialising in agriculture and food research to apply for one of these awards.”

Applicants must meet one of Evidence and Innovation Priority Research Areas for 2012, which are aligned to Evidence and Innovation Strategy (2009-2013). Details of these, along with application forms and terms and conditions for the Postgraduate Agricultural and Food Studentships 2012, are available from our website at: http://www.dardni.gov.uk/postgraduate-study or by email to: pgstudentshipapplications2012@dardni.gov.uk.

DARD MInister Announces 2012 LFA Compensatory Allowances’ Rates

AGRICULTURE Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA today (Monday 31st October) announced the rates for the 2012 Less Favoured Area Compensatory Allowances Scheme.

The Minister said: “I have looked very carefully at what we can afford this year and can now confirm for payments issuing in 2012, the rates will remain at the same level we set for the last two years. I recognise the importance of these payments to hill farmers and I felt it was necessary to ensure, despite other pressures on my Department’s budget, these rates were not reduced.

“The payment rates for the 2012 Less Favoured Area Compensatory Allowances (LFACA) Scheme will be £23.81 per hectare for Disadvantaged Areas and Common Land and £47.62 per hectare for Severely Disadvantaged Areas. ”

Turning to the timing of these payments, the Minister added: “It is my intention these payments will begin to be paid out in early March 2012, with the majority being paid by the end of March. I know these payments will provide a welcome boost to both hill farmers and the rural economy.”

The LFACA scheme is part of the NI Rural Development Programme (NIRDP) 2007-13. The Department has received some 14,300 applications for the 2012 Scheme. Payments on eligible claims will begin to be paid out in early March 2012.The target is for 90 per cent of payments to be made by 31 March 2012.

Applicants may also qualify for a cattle bonus which increases the area based payment for those producers who have 25% or more of their eligible livestock units as suckler cows or heifers.

Minister O’Neill Attends EU Discussion On CAP Reform Proposals

AGRICULTURE and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill has attended the EU Agriculture Council which discussed the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Reform proposals.

Speaking after the discussions in Luxembourg the Minister said, “Commissioner Cilos presented his proposals to the Council and Ministers from the 27 Member States gave their initial reactions. This was an important Council as it set out the opening position for the forthcoming reform negotiations. By being here, I, along with my Ministerial colleagues from Scotland and Wales, was able to ensure that the response to the proposals presented by the British Secretary of State, Caroline Spelman, was a balanced representation of our collective concerns and objectives.”

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DARD Minister Meets RSPB On Cap Reform

AGRICULTURE Minister Michelle O’Neill has met with a delegation from the RSPB to discuss the importance of agri-environment schemes and Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform.

Speaking afterwards the Minister said, “My Department continues to work closely with RSPB, farmers and other key organisations on the development and delivery of agri-environment schemes. Read the rest of this entry »

O’Neill In Funding Boost For Renewable Energy

Posted by Jim Masson

AGRICULTURE and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill has shown her support for a greener environment by opening up new funding avenues for renewable energy products and feasibility studies.

Under the Rural Development Programme funding can now be obtained to contribute towards the purchase a wide range of equipment to generate renewable energy. Also available is funding of up to £5,000 matched by the applicant towards the cost of independent feasibility studies.

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Ritchie Calls For Action Over Farm Payments

SOUTH Down MP Margaret Ritchie MLA has been advised by DARD that many farmers and landowners could be waiting over a year for payment on completed work.

South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has called for the DARD Minister to expedite farm payments.

“Following several representations to the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development on behalf of the local farming community. The Minister’s department have advised that it will be 31st December 2011 before all payments are made to those who applied for the Countryside Management Scheme in 2011.

“Work that would be eligible for this payment had to be completed before 31st December 2010. This agreement was signed up to by the farmers applying to the scheme. In many cases farmers have been left at a considerable financial loss as they wait for this long overdue payment . At first farmers were told they would be paid in May 2011 and then advised they would receive payment in July 2011. Following the significant delay from May for this payment, I asked the Minister for clarification on the issue. In response to my Assembly question, the Minister stated that she ‘anticipates that all outstanding claims will be made before 31st December 2011′.

“In these difficult economic times the farming community should not be subject to such delays in payments for work completed a year ago. The Department must prioritise this work. I understand that even at this stage there will be further delays, as the Department are advising there will be a least one month between inspection and payment.

“The Minster needs to take action to give real priority to these outstanding inspections and the processing of the payments, and must ensure that this situation is not repeated in future years,” added Ms Ritchie.

O’Neill Says Executive Must Support Rural Life

AGRICULTURE and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill today called on the Executive to support those who live in the north’s rural areas by supporting a meaningful rural White Paper.

The Minister was responding to a debate in the Assembly calling for support for rural businesses.

In responding to today’s motion, the Minister said, “The motion raises the important issue of the Executive’s support for rural businesses. Although my Department provides significant advisory and financial support to our rural businesses and communities and will continue to do so, I am clear that all parts of government have responsibilities towards our rural areas. Particularly in relation to key issues such as health, education and employment.

“DARD cannot, and should not, be the sole provider of support to our rural communities. I and my predecessor, Michelle Gildernew, have worked hard, through initiatives such as rural proofing and the Rural White Paper, to get others to accept rural issues as a main part of their business.”

The Minister added, “My Rural White Paper initiative is trying to get all Departments with an interest and responsibility to support our rural communities and businesses. I want the Rural White Paper, which I intend to bring to the Executive by the end of the year, to be a driving force in bringing equality to our rural citizens.”