Mid Ulster consortium gets £4m slurry grant

DAERA has awarded £4m to the Centre for Competitiveness (C for C) under phase 2 of its sustainable utilisation of livestock slurry research initiative.

The partners in the C for C includes CEMCOR, Road Safety Contracts, Tobermore, and Alltech and they intend to use the £4m to help fund mobile slurry separators to produce feedstock for anaerobic digestion. Ultimately, the Mid Ulster cluster want to build a 10MW biorefinery which will produce biomethane, biofertiliser, low carbon cement and bricks.

Earlier in October, Blakiston Houston Estates in Co Down was the first company to be awarded £4m under phase 2 of the DAERA-led project.

Muir accepts almost 700 meeting invites

Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has accepted 692 invitations and requests for meetings since taking up the role in February 2024.

In response to a written question from DUP MLA Tom Buchanan, Minister Muir said he has declined 312 invitations since he was appointed to DAERA.