Members of Northern Ireland’s Sheep Industry Taskforce are set to meet with the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, in the near future.
In tandem with this, taskforce representatives are expecting to take part in further meetings, with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), with the aim of agreeing future sheep support measures.
Co. Antrim EasyCare flock owner, Campbell Tweed, is a member of the taskforce.
Tweed told Agriland: “We will be pressing the need for effective support measures to be made available to the sheep sector.
“There is no provision for specific schemes of this type at the present time. However, future funding has been ringfenced within the scope of the reform measures to be introduced across agriculture in Northern Ireland over the coming 24 months.”
Sheep industry
According to the taskforce member, future support measures will be designed to deliver improved performance and matching genetic gains at individual flock level.
“Schemes of this nature already operate in the Republic of Ireland. Delivering improved genetic merit across Northern Ireland’s sheep sector represents a win-win scenario for farmers,” Tweed continued.
“Better performing sheep are inherently more efficient. They are also more likely to secure better market prices.
“Delivering improved performance and efficiency levels will also act to reduce the carbon footprint of the sheep sector.
“However, it should be pointed out that flock owners are already securing very high levels of environmental sustainability.”
The taskforce published its initial report, looking at the future of Northern Ireland’s sheep sector, in February 2023.
It underlined the importance of sheep production to Northern Ireland’s economy and identified how it could be supported to deliver much more.
Support for sheep sector
The report specifically called for collaboration between government, meat processors and farmers, so as to ensure the sheep industry has a stable and sustainable future at the heart of the rural economy.
The work of the taskforce has specifically identified the need to maintain a ‘critical mass’ within the sheep sector.
This will be required to secure the infrastructure needed to develop the industry and secure a level of future profitability.
According to the report, the starting point for this process is retaining the current level of meat and wool output.
Longer term perspectives would be better secured if productivity was increased and output grew.
Securing extra output can come from extra breeding animals or greater yield from existing breeding animals. Taskforce members believe the latter option can deliver the best outcomes.