Farming Community need and deserve effective Farm Modernisation delivery

Tom Elliott, the Ulster Unionist Party's spokesman on Agriculture and Rural Development, has said that the delivery of tranche 2 of the Farm Modernisation scheme must be "based on consultation, well informed and effective in terms of delivery if it is to truly help the rural community move forward." He was speaking after his motion about the topic was passed in the Assembly chamber on Monday.

In a statement the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said: "When we look back at the delivery of tranche 1 of the farm modernisation scheme we remember queues lasting a full night for applications. The vast majority of people, be they farmers or not, realised that the delivery mechanism was an abysmal failure. Not only did the spectacle rightly anger the agricultural community, but the mechanism that was used resulted in a large section of the farming community not getting any support or help at all, with somewhere in the region of 85% of all applications been rejected."

"It is absolutely vital that we ensure that tranche 2 does not end up in a chaotic mess like tranche 1. We all recognise the opportunities that tranche 2 will provide in terms of farm modernisation, but the Minister must take onboard the very real concerns being expressed regarding the criteria which will be used to determine who should be successful. It is my belief that too much emphasise is being placed on land classification, with farmers in severely disadvantaged areas receiving many more marks that those in other areas. I'm not saying that land classification shouldn't be used as a criterion, but it should not dominate other important criteria such as the age of the applicant, bearing in mind the need to support young farms starting out, the degree of modernisation, and the role of the farmer, if they are full time or part time. All these aspects need to be taken into account and properly recognised if an efficient system of delivery is to become a reality."

"The Minister has confirmed that the eligible items that will be available through the scheme will be open for public consultation. I am also calling for her to open the criteria that will be used for consultation. Organisations like the Ulster Farmers' Union, the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA) and indeed the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development all want to be involved in ensuring the success of tranche 2. The Minister needs to realise that going on a solo run and ignoring our suggestions is a recipe for disaster."