Agriculture

Ulster Unionist Social Development Spokesman Billy Armstrong has given his Party's backing to Margaret Ritchie's efforts to secure additional funding from Westminster to increase the Winter Fuel Payment.

The cost of the August floods to Upper Bann farmers was today unveiled by Ulster Unionist Assembly Member and member of the Assembly's Agriculture Committee, George Savage MLA. Speaking from Stormont on the issue, George said:

Deputy-chair of the Stormont Agricultural Committee, Tom Elliott, has put forward a vote of no confidence in a report brought before the committee stating DARD's belief that there was not a sufficient case for the introduction of a hardship assistance scheme. Mr. Elliott has previously called for the introduction of a scheme to help farmers across Northern Ireland who were badly effected by the severe flooding that gripped the country in August.

With issues including high global food prices, food security and concerns regarding climate change and wider environmental matters taking up an increasing portion of the political agenda investment in 'farmer led' agricultural research, as pioneered by Northern Ireland's own AgriSearch, is "needed now more than ever" according to Ulster Unionist agriculture and rural development spokesman, Tom Elliott.

Ulster Unionist agricultural spokesperson, Tom Elliott MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone has warned that just when consumers though that fruit and vegetable prices could not get any higher, guess what, the EU are contemplating a proposed EU ban on pesticides, which if imposed could lead to the price of British fruit and vegetables doubling or trebling.

Tom Elliott MLA, Ulster Unionist Party Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Development brought a motion before the Assembly today, which called upon the Minister for Agriculture and Rural development to clarify how Northern Ireland is going to meet its targets to develop woodland cover. Mr Elliott drew attention to the fact that targets set out in the Programme for Government do not match targets in DARD's 2006 Forestry Strategy. He called upon the Minister to bring some clarity to the issue and to outline the strategies she has in place to deliver upon the targets.

Tom Elliott MLA, Ulster Unionist Party Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Development has broadly welcomed the Woodland Trust's 'Vision for Woodland in Northern Ireland', commenting that it adds strategic direction on one way to improve the amount and quality of woodland cover in the Province. Mr. Elliott considers that the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development must give the report her full attention and act upon the main thrust of its message.

Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott, has said there is a real need for the re-introduction of Dairy Export Refunds following a rapid decline in the price of milk.

Upper Bann Ulster Unionist Assembly Member and Member of the Assembly's Agriculture Committee, George Savage MLA today spoke after receiving an answer to an Assembly Question from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development which outlines the current cost estimate of the damaged caused by the flash flooding on 16th August 2008 is £670,000. Below is a breakdown of that figure:

Deputy Chair of the Stormont Agricultural Committee, Tom Elliott, has spoken out about his fears concerning the ever increasing costs experienced by DARD since the 5% Heifer Court Ruling.

Unionist Party MLA, Tom Elliott, has said that farmers who own recently constructed slurry tanks that were damaged during the recent flooding across Northern Ireland deserve to have the support of DARD as they seek to recover from what happened. He was speaking after details released to the Stormont Agricultural Committee this week showed DARD distancing itself from giving aid to those farmers who were affected by the problem.

Ulster Unionist MLA for East Londonderry David McClarty has called on retailers and consumers in Northern Ireland to support local farmers and producers.

Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott, has welcomed the decision by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee to cut Interest rates from 5% to 4.5%, stating that it will bring a very welcome boost to members of the agricultural community across the United Kingdom.

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott has reacted angrily to the news that staff from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development must have been aware of the cruel conditions animals at Little Acre Open Farm were faced with.

Unionist Party spokesman for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tom Elliott, has said that more information is required about the Farm Modernisation Scheme if farmers who wish to apply are going to have enough knowledge to do so with confidence.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, Tom Elliott, has come out in support of a food watchdog statement which notes that consumers across the United Kingdom often experience problems when attempting to understand food labels.

Tom Elliott MLA, and Ulster Unionist Party Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Development has outlined his disgust at the discovery of what appears to be extreme cruelty and neglect of animals at the Littleacre Open Farm in Loughbrickland. Mr. Elliott will be seeking assurances from the Minister that she will take the necessary measures to ensure that incidences like this do not happen again.

Ulster Unionist Assembly Member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has stated that if the rural champion concept is to work, then the rural proofing part of the scheme must have teeth and be enforceable on all government departments in Northern Ireland, otherwise it will fail.

Mid Ulster MLA Billy Armstrong has praised the emergency services for their prompt action in dealing with this morning's fire in a lorry transporting some 7,000 chickens on the Moneymore Road near Magherafelt.

Ulster Unionist MLA and vice chairman of the Assembly's DARD committee has welcomed the fact that DARD has made a bid to the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) for £2 million of central funding to aid those farmers hit by the recent flooding.

Mid-Ulster MLA Billy Armstrong has backed the calls from Ulster Farmers' Union President Graham Furey, that action be taken to limit the power of the big supermarket chains in food production.

Tom Elliott, Unionist Party MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, has welcomed a statement by the Conservative party's environment spokesman Peter Ainsworth, in which he spoke out against the increasing reliance placed upon imported foods by families across the United Kingdom.

Tom Elliott, Ulster Unionist MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone and deputy chair of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, has welcomed the initial response by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to the recent flooding and the devastation it has brought to many farmers. Speaking after a special Agriculture and Rural Development Committee meeting today Mr. Elliott welcomed the fact that the Department has already carried out some 61 damage inspections. However, he outlined his firm belief that the Department must make strong representations to the Executive for adequate compensation, as many farmers face immediate financial uncertainty.

Ulster Unionist Party agricultural spokesperson, Tom Elliott MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone has hit out at the Government's strategy to tackle the disease in the short term and does little to eradicate bovine TB which is seeing upwards of 28,000 cattle a year culled.

George Savage MLA for Upper Bann and member of the Agricultural Committee has spoken today of the issues he will raise at an emergency meeting of the Agriculture Committee. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 3rd September has been called to deal with the impact of the recent flooding on crop production and farmers.

Unionist party MLA Tom Elliott has said that some questions need to be asked about the Countryside management after a number of constituents contacted him with concerns about rates of grant paid out. Their problem with the scheme revolves around payments which, while staying the same for farmers who have used the scheme before, have increased for new members of the scheme.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tom Elliott has warned local farmers to remain vigilant after reports in England found that at many farmers markets products advertised as 'local' often came from long distances away.

Ulster Unionist MLA Billy Armstrong today gave his reaction to a statement by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn that the Government will not issue licenses to cull badgers to prevent the spread of TB in cattle in England.

Sam Gardiner MLA, the Ulster Unionist Assembly Member for Upper Bann, has called for the establishment of a network of farmers' markets across Northern Ireland.

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott has said that farmers who are owed money by the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development should be paid the interest that they would earn should they have received the money on time.

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott has said that farmers who are owed money by the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development should be paid the interest that they would earn should they have received the money on time.

ULSTER Unionist Party member, George Savage, MLA has welcomed the news that the Department of Agriculture is going to commence advance part payments for farmers involved in the Farm Management Nutrient Scheme, something he has openly and steadily been campaigning for.

Mid-Ulster MLA Billy Armstrong today called on the Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew to take steps to transfer jobs from the Department of Agriculture's Headquarters in the Stormont Estate to a more rural site in the Province

Danny Kennedy MLA, the Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, has called on Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew, to inject more energy into expanding the young peoples entrants scheme for farming.

Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA and Mr Robin Swann have issued a joint statement praising the "excellent and highly professional" traditional Ballymoney Show.

Ulster Unionist Party agricultural spokesperson, Tom Elliott MLA has welcomed the announcement this week that £200m will be available for farmers in Northern Ireland over the next 5 years and will provide opportunities for farmers to do even more for the environment.

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott has hit out at DARD following the miscalculations that have emerged after figures they released show that the much discussed Crossnacreevy site was not worth the originally estimated £200 million pounds, but only £3-6 million pounds.

TOM Elliott, agriculture spokesperson for the Ulster Unionist Party has described as 'disgraceful' the revelation that animals in Northern Ireland may have been infected deliberately with Brucellosis.

Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA, the President of the Ballymena Agricultural Show, has praised its organisers on staging "a superb, very impressive and highly enjoyable event". Dr Coulter, who was accompanied at the show by his wife Elizabeth, had earlier made an appeal to the North Antrim community and beyond to rally behind the constituency's farming sector and support both Ballymena Show and this coming week's agricultural show in Ballymoney.

Mid-Ulster MLA Billy Armstrong has praised this year's Balmoral Show as one of the best ever.