Certain policy decisions made within the EU will continue to impact farmers in NI, the president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has said.

Speaking at an event in Brussels last Wednesday evening, William Irvine said there remains “a vital relationship” between NI farming and the EU after Brexit.

“We must ensure that our voice is heard by actively engaging with the European Commission, the European Parliament and other key stakeholders.

“It is essential to highlight our needs and aspirations, particularly on outstanding issues related to the Windsor Framework,” he said.

A key issue related to Brexit which is currently under the spotlight is the supply of veterinary medicines to NI after the end of 2025.

Veterinary medicines in NI must comply with EU regulations, which means products that come from Britain are at risk of being discontinued when a temporary grace period expires at the end of next year.

New policies

Aside from existing Brexit-related issues, new EU policies can affect NI too, so there is a body of work for the UFU to do around lobbying and also understanding which new rules have an impact in NI.

An example is a new EU animal health law, where there could potentially be restrictions on the distances that livestock can be transported.

EU influence

At last week’s event which was themed “Our place in Europe”, Irvine said there are various avenues for the NI agriculture industry to influence policy in Brussels.

Firstly, the UFU continues to regularly send representatives to Brussels to lobby policymakers directly.

The four UK farming unions have also kept their own permanent staff and office in Brussels, known as the British Agricultural Bureau.

On top of that, all UK unions are still involved with Copa Cogeca, which is the umbrella body for farm organisations across the EU.

“Whilst the UK has left the EU, it has never been more important for farmers across Europe to work together as we collectively face challenges on the global scale,” Irvine said.

NI Executive

At a government level, the NI Executive has an office and staff based in Brussels which is involved in issues related to both Brexit and new EU rules.

Speaking at the same event, Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir pointed out that NI must follow certain EU rules as a condition for having full access to the European single market.

“I am fully committed to the implementation of the Windsor Framework and continued engagement with the farming community.

“We are working to assess all and any opportunities that arise with this dual market access that NI has been afforded for agri food businesses,” he said.

High-tech dairy unit in Flemish Brabant

A delegation of UFU representatives attended the “Our place in Europe” event at the NI Executive’s office in Brussels last week.

The following day, the group visited nearby farms, including a high-tech dairy unit run by Bart Vanderstraeten near Merchtem in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant.

The 180-cow Holstein herd is milked in three Lely robots in a fully housed system. Average yield is currently 880kg of milk solids, or 11,200 litres per cow.

Two Lely Vector robots are on the farm which automatically feed out rations in small amounts throughout the day.

Bart explained “the kitchen” area of the feed shed is filled up with the required feed every three days.

A small grab which runs along the roof of the shed then makes up the rations by automatically collecting the required feed and dropping it into the robotic mixer wagon.

Maize is the main crop grown to feed the cows, although there is some grass silage too.

There is an additional 50 hectares of potatoes and a purpose-built storage facility.

There are solar panel installations on the farm, as well as an anaerobic digester (AD) which runs solely on slurry from the dairy unit.

Electricity and heat generated in the AD plant is utilised on the farm. Heat use includes drying manure to produce bedding for cow cubicles.

Surplus electricity from solar and AD can either be exported straight to the national grid or stored in batteries. An online trading platform is used to work out when is the best time to sell surplus electricity.

In addition, Bart runs a meeting venue and team building activities on the site as part of a successful farm diversification project.

He also has a micro milk processing plant which produces seven different products, including barista milk, iced coffee and yoghurt.

Similar to NI, getting planning permission for new livestock buildings has become a significant issue in Belgium in recent years.

Bart said the problem, which relates to ammonia emissions, limits the ability for farms to expand and is a key reason why he has diversified and added value to his business.

Growing potatoes and rearing organic pigs

The group also visited the farm of Pieter Van Wilderode located near Oudenaken. The 400ha arable farm grows a range of cereals with around half the land area used for potatoes.

There is an organic pig unit on the farm that has places for 1,000 pigs which are brought in at around 25kg liveweight.

Asides from being fed organic rations, the system requires a lower stocking rate than conventional units, plus pigs are bedded on straw and have access to outdoor areas.

Pieter also manages a separate 200ha organic arable farm and sells some organic pork directly to consumers through the farm’s own marketing label.

Organic certification means the farm is regularly audited, with Pieter stating that 25 different inspections took place last year alone.

He is married to Griet Lemaire, who is a director in the Flemish farming news website VILT, and the couple have two sons.

Pieter’s family started farming in Oudenaken in 1896 and he represents the fifth generation of his family on the farm.

He appears optimistic about the future, making it clear that he is hopeful that another generation is coming behind him to farm.