Farmers being pushed to wall by RHI cuts: UFU

Large reductions to the payments made under the RHI scheme were introduced in April.

The UFU believes the Department for the Economy (DfE) at Stormont has hardened its approach and farmers are being faced with “the very real possibility that this could be the end of their business”.

The warning from the UFU’s deputy president Victor Chestnutt came as a judicial review into the lawfulness of the department’s measures, which led to the 2019 legislation that dramatically cut RHI tariffs, was postponed.

Mr Chestnutt said: “Earlier this year the DfE said it would publish details of a proposed hardship unit in September.

“That deadline has now passed and as we enter October there is no sign of any movement by DfE. Meanwhile, our members are facing continued financial pressure as a result of the decision.”

He continued: “These farmers are being pushed to the wall. They are selling stock, selling land, making all the adjustments they can and some are faced with the very real possibility that this could be the end of their business.

“They got a raw deal as a result of this rushed legalisation and are paying the price for government mistakes. DfE has made no obvious attempts to act upon the findings of an earlier Call for Evidence and the silence from the department is deafening.”

Mr Chestnutt also said 40% of audited installations have been referred to the energy regulator Ofgem.

A spokesperson for the department said: “In the summer, the department carried out a Call for Evidence to seek the views of participants and gather evidence on the presence and nature of hardship as a result of businesses’ participation in the Non-Domestic RHI scheme. The department will announce in the coming days, as part of its published response to the Call for Evidence, the appointment of an independent person, who will urgently consider these issues further.

“The Department for the Economy continues to deliver the ongoing programme of investigating every installation accredited to the Non-Domestic Scheme.

“All participants scheduled for a site audit have been invited to a (workshop) in advance of the inspection.”