Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture Matt Carthy. \ Philip Doyle
The first question is whether the new carbon-neutral suckler scheme will actually deliver new income to farmers, Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture Matt Carthy has said.
The scheme would assess farms that meet a carbon-neutral standard and certify them with a new ‘A’ or ‘A1’ rating, depending on their take-up of environmental measures.
Concerns
Carthy has welcomed reports of the new scheme, but warned that “there are already signs that the Minister is repeating the mistakes that have frustrated farmers in previous schemes .
“Budget 2021 saw the announcement of a €45m COVID beef scheme, but the truth is this was simply a rebrand of existing supports, rather than a new scheme on top of the existing BEEP-S or BDGP.”
By Neil Wilson, executive director, Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) With vaccination under way there is light at the end of the Covid tunnel, and although Brexit issues remain very much live, we are working hard to get sensible trade going again for our customers and members, One problem that isn’t going anywhere though, is climate change. For an industry that is based entirely on natural resources and the weather, it is essential that we fully acknowledge this threat and now approach it with the urgency it deserves. It is both our responsibility to do so, and critical to our, and future generations’, survival.