Ring fence funding to keep elderly farmers in agriculture, UUP urges Stormont Farming Minister
Mr Robert Carmichael, the Chairman of the East Londonderry Ulster Unionist Party Association, has called on the Stormont Farming Minister to specifically ring fence funding to ensure that elderly farmers are able to remain in agriculture.
Mr Carmichael, speaking on behalf of the UUP association, said the UUP call for elderly farming ring fenced funding came hot on the heels of a much needed advertising campaign highlighting health and safety dangers to the elderly working on their farms.
A new farm safety campaign aimed at reducing the number of work-related deaths and injuries among older farmers has been launched in Northern Ireland.
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), the Stormont Agriculture Department (DAERA) and the Farm Safety Partnership have launched a powerful new advertising campaign aimed at reducing the number of work-related deaths and injuries among older farmers.
‘Farm Wiser to Farm Longer’ aims to get farmers to realise that as they get older their experience and knowledge increases, but sadly so do the risks.
Mr Carmichael added: “We as an UUP association here in East Londonderry warmly welcome this advertising initiative as being very worthwhile in promoting health and safety on our farms for our elderly agricultural population.
“The fact that such a specific advertising campaign has been launched is proof positive that folk are now living longer and are therefore deciding to work longer on farms than traditional retirement ages.
“However, we still need the Stormont Farming Department and its minister to go a step further and ring fence specific funding in terms of financial incentives to encourage elderly farmers to remain in the business.
“Over the decades and generations, these elderly farmers have acquired a vast amount of knowledge, experience and expertise which needs to be passed on to the next generation of farmers.
“Such financial incentives could be introduced to encourage elderly farmers to remain in farming for as long as their health allows them and at the same time, convey that knowledge to the new generation of farming.
“Hand in glove with our proposed incentive scheme, we in the UUP association also urge the Stormont Farming Minister to do all he can in his power to assist with the total abolition of the Family Farm Inheritance Tax.
“We welcome that the threshold has been raised from £1 million to £2.5 million, but we urge the Stormont Farming Minister and indeed the entire Stormont Executive to push Westminster to scrap this notorious farm tax altogether.
“Doing so could also act as an incentive for elderly farmers to remain in the business rather than have to worry about the payment of inheritance tax,” said Mr Carmichael on behalf of the UUP association.