No end point for NI area payment rate

The payment rate for the new area-based scheme in NI will continually change over the coming years, Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has said.

The new Farm Sustainability Payment is to be the main replacement for the Basic Payment Scheme in NI, with a transition year taking place in 2025 and full roll out in 2026.

In response to a question from Sinn Fein MLA Declan McAleer, Minister Muir said the budget for the payment will reduce to “a much lower level” over time as funding is re-directed to other schemes, such as Farming With Nature.

“We must also remember that the budget available for agricultural support will evolve over time. Therefore, there is no fixed end point for the value of payment rates per hectare and this is a matter that will be subject to ongoing review,” he said.

New tractors down 1.6% in NI

There were 306 new tractors registered in NI during the first half of 2024, equating to a 1.6% drop year on year, according to data from the Agricultural Engineers’ Association.

Across the UK overall, the figures indicate that new tractor registrations fell by 13% in the first six months of the year, with 5,882 machines registered over the period.

Certainty with migrant scheme needed – report

Businesses in the horticulture sector need certainty that a scheme for migrant labour will be available in the long term, advisers to the UK government have said.

In a new report, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has recommended that businesses get five years’ notice if the Seasonal Workers’ Scheme (SWS) is to close.

Under the SWS, foreign workers can come to the UK for up to six months, with 45,000 horticulture visas available in 2024.

Responding to the MAC report, the National Farmers’ Union welcomed the call for certainty about the long-term future of the scheme.

However, the NI Mushrooms Growers’ Association (NIMGA) described the report as “a missed opportunity”.

NIMGA vice chair John McArdle said new workers in the mushroom sector require a four-month training period, so the six-month visa is not long enough. “Without urgent action from the government, the mushroom industry in NI as we know it will cease to exist,” he said.