Virus impacts business on NI farms

Reviews are ongoing with DAERA and industry bodies over how staff interact with NI farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DAERA Minister Edwin Poots said that measures are being put in place to ensure “essential business can continue”, while acknowledging that “non-essential business is likely to be impacted”.

It remains to be seen what DAERA categorise as essential and non-essential business.

It is understood that officials in the department’s veterinary service are assessing the impact of COVID-19 on bovine TB testing on NI farms.

A spokesperson from DAERA was unable to confirm the outcome of the review when the Irish Farmers Journal was going to press.

DAERA officials are to brief MLAs on the department’s response to coronavirus at a meeting in Stormont on Thursday.

The board of NI Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme are expected to suspend all on-farm inspections during the coronavirus outbreak.

Dairy

In the dairy sector, processors have published guidance to farmer suppliers on preventing the spread of COVID-19. This includes making no contact with tanker drivers and washing down surfaces on the bulk tank after milk is collected.

Dr Mike Johnston from the Dairy Council of NI said that resources in the dairy industry are already stretched at this time of year as production reaches its seasonal peak.

“Anything that causes a hiccup in our supply chain could lead to less product being available to the consumers of NI. If milk is not collected then farmers only have one option, dump that milk,” he said.

Johnston is calling on the government to remove all unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape for processors, hauliers and farmers, and ensure factory staff can continue to go to work. He also emphasised that the dairy industry needs to be looked at in the same light as the healthcare and energy sectors in terms of critical importance to the economy. If the industry isn’t isolated from the COVID-19 outbreak, the consequences for the wider economy would be catastrophic, warn dairy processors.

UFU

Elsewhere, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has reminded farmers to exercise caution when interacting with visitors, including deliveries of animal feed.

“Farmers and drivers should heed government recommendations about social distancing and ensure they’re always at least two metres apart. It is a simple measure which will make a huge difference in the battle against COVID-19,” said UFU president Ivor Ferguson.

With the spring workload at its peak, most NI farmers could not meet labour requirements if an outbreak occurred within their farm.

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