A new Agriculture Action plan to protect farm incomes alongside reducing emissions has been published by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine.
Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture said he hoped the 2021 strategy, which contains 75 key actions to support a sustainable, innovative and competitive agri-food and forestry sector.
“The key priority is the protection of incomes and the sustainable development of our sector. Our farmers and food producers face many challenges as they contine to provide the high-quality food and timber,” he added.
“We will provide a policy platform that protects incomes, ensures that our food offering is safe and of the highest quality and that our industry is environmentally sustainable and competitive.”
Mr McConalogue explained he would continue to provide vital support for farmers which are the lifeblood of a balanced rural community. New schemes are being designed to reward farmers for committed environmental effort. A forum will be launched to examine how to boost incomes for beef and sheep farmers.
Further initiatives included in the plan are the establishment of a food ombudsman’s office in 2021, and a nine year strategy for the food sector until 2030.
The plan also sets out further animal welfare strategies including a ban on fur farming, responsible pet ownership and amending the Control of Horses act. A system is to be set up to monitor the level of enforcement with regard to animal welfare legislation.
LSL News.