Tell us how you will help farmers, UUP's Carmichael challenges Burnham
East Londonderry Ulster Unionists have warned that the constituency’s farming community needs urgent action from expected new Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham if it is not to face the same financial ruin that happened to Northern Ireland’s linen industry.
The stark warning came from Mr Robert Carmichael, the East Londonderry UUP Association Chairman in a major policy statement from the association.
In his statement on behalf of the association, the UUP man said: “Andy Burnham, whether by coronation or contest, is expected to replace Keir Starmer as both Labour leader and Prime Minister, perhaps within weeks.
“Although Mr Burnham has hinted he wants to devolve more power to the regions, we still do not have any concrete proposals as to how this will benefit our hard-pressed farming community.
“Agriculture is one of the main industries in this predominantly rural constituency and our farming community was already strained to breaking point in the past because of Covid crisis and the increase in price of essential commodities such as fuel, feed and fertiliser.
“East Londonderry’s farming families provide a massive contribution to the social, economic and environmental life of the constituency. In the face of the various economic millstones being heaped on East Londonderry farmers by the European Union, it is a time for urgent action in terms of cash aid from a Burnham Government, not pathetic words of sympathy or empty promises from the new Labour Cabinet.
“We in the UUP are taking a firm stand for self-employed farmers and rural communities adversely affected by the Universal Credit (UC) system. The Minimum Income Floor (MIF) and monthly income reporting requirements fail to accommodate the fluctuating and seasonal nature of farming incomes, causing significant financial strain.
“This is having a real impact on self-employed farmers. Universal Credit affects self-employed farmers differently from employed individuals. The system’s design does not account for the seasonal and variable nature of farming income, leading to periods where farmers receive little to no support despite having minimal or no income.
“The agricultural community forms not just a major part of the commercial backbone of East Londonderry, but also of this entire Province. We must not allow the fight to save this important industry to become a party political or sectarian football. We appeal to the entire East Londonderry community to unite behind the constituency’s farmers in this their latest time of cost of living crisis.
“The livelihoods of many thousands of people in the farming industry are at risk right across the Province. However, it is not only those directly involved in farming who stand to lose if the Ulster agricultural industry goes under financially. The vast consumer market in Northern Ireland will also suffer. They represent the hundreds of thousands of people in the Province who buy farm produce, such as beef, lamb, bacon, eggs, poultry products, and vegetables.
“Various sectors of the Province's farming community have suffered drastically for more than a decade. The beef, sheep, poultry, pig and land-based farmers have all faced financial ruin in recent years. The time has come for a community-wide campaign to save our farming industry, whatever the sector. This united campaign must spread across every city, town, village and hamlet in our Province.
“The people of Northern Ireland can help considerably by ensuring when they buy their groceries from the shops and supermarkets, that they only purchase commodities produced by our local farmers.
“In this fight to save our local farming industry, each of us has a role to play. Let us all move forward together as a community and ensure that the Ulster farming industry survives well into the new millennium. We also need Mr Burnham to listen to this message, too” said Mr Carmichael.