Ulster egg producers offered cage ban funds

Northern Irish egg producers can now receive government assistance in converting to enriched cages or alternative production systems ahead of the 2012 EU conventional cage ban.

The latest instalment of the Farm Modernisation Programme (FMP), which began last year, will see £7m available to farmers to convert to new technology, including converting cages in layer farms.

To access the funds farmers must qualify through an application process and commit to spending an additional £6 for every £4 they receive from the scheme. Financial support will be capped at £4000 a farm, with applications closing on November 26.

Northern Ireland agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew said she was committed to maintaining the competitiveness of the egg industry.

“My department consulted with representatives of the poultry industry to ensure that the list of eligible items (in the FMP) includes items that will help egg producers to modernise,” she said.

“I am determined to protect the industry here from cheaper eggs imported from non-compliant member states. I will continue to look for every opportunity to ensure the economic stability of the egg sector here is maintained.”

The Ulster Farmers Union said it welcomed the new round of funding with UFU president John Thompson saying the UFU would hold workshops across Northern Ireland to help farmers complete applications.

But opposition Ulster Unionist Party leader Tom Elliott hit out at the minister, saying she needed to do more to support poultry, citing the Republic of Ireland’s €16m support for egg producers to convert to enriched cages or other systems.

“Egg producers in Northern Ireland naturally fear that government grants for their counterparts across the border in the Irish Republic could put them at a disadvantage. This is another area that the minister should seek to address,” he said.