The Minister has allocated a maximum of £1 million to help defray the transport costs of fodder.  The Aid level, which is the Department’s contribution to the transport costs, will be reflected in the prices charged by hauliers and is a flat rate of £90 per tonne of fodder.  A full list of participating hauliers is available on the website.   The price the farmer pays for fodder from the haulier will be net of this £90 aid payment –

the haulier claims the DARD contribution directly via Countryside Services so the price paid by the farmer will reflect this aid payment.  The scheme will also only cover fodder imported into NI via Larne, Warrenpoint or Belfast and does not cover imports from the Republic of Ireland.

Full details of the scheme including forms and contact details for participating hauliers can be found on the Countryside Services website atwww.countrysideservices.com or by calling 028 8778 9770.  If you require further details on ECNI or have any concerns please contact  Development Officer, Debbie Black on db@equinecouncilni.com or 0787 2619755.

A delegation from The Equine Council for Northern Ireland (ECNI) met with the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle O’Neill MLA at Parliament Buildings on Monday to discuss issues currently affecting the equine sector in Northern Ireland.  ECNI stressed the need to ensure that the reputation of the equine sector here is upheld and the important role that equine passports have in that process.  Discussions on the need for a review of the equine passport system, which DARD had already agreed to in January following ECNI’s recommendation, centred around ensuring that the system is both fit for purpose and adequately enforced at local level.  The review process will now be accelerated ECNI and DARD have agreed to work together to resolve this issue and also to consult with Horse Sport Ireland and the Department of Agriculture in the Republic of Ireland.  In addition to ensuring that all horses have the correct identification documents, there is a need for a database to identify the location of equines for health and welfare purposes and ECNI would welcome such a system.   A publicity campaign reminding horse owners of their responsibility to ensure all equines are correctly identified will commence shortly.

The decision by Oakdale Meats in Lurgan to cease its equine slaughter facility was also discussed.  It is understood that this decision was made on a commercial basis but ECNI feel that this represents the loss of an important service which will have a knock-on effect on the welfare of horses in Northern Ireland by forcing their movement to either the Republic of Ireland or other parts of the UK.  It is hoped that this service will resume in the future and ECNI would be in support of such a move.

ECNI are also engaging with local councils to review the system of equine welfare inspections which commenced in April 2012.  Concerns centre around the need for equine specific inspectors to ensure that the specialised needs of horses and ponies can be met where there is a welfare problem.

The equine industry is a vital part of the Northern Irish economy and contributes a great deal in terms of financial benefits and much needed jobs in rural areas.  It is vital that the industry maintains its high standards and also has the capabilities to deal with issues affecting equine health or welfare in a timely and effective manner.

The Equine Council for Northern Ireland (ECNI) presented a set of recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in January on issues surrounding the equine industry in Northern Ireland.  These recommendations included a call for a review of the passport and equine identification system  which DARD agreed to at the meeting.

ECNI is also concerned by the level of inaccurate information being presented to the public on the equine sector in Northern Ireland.  These misleading statistics and information on the industry are continuing to do damage and lead to poor perception of the Northern Ireland equine sector despite the fact that they have been corrected.

It is also vital that Northern Ireland has a fully regulated and approved slaughter facility to ensure that horses do not have to be transported to the Republic of Ireland or to other parts of the UK with potential impacts in terms of equine welfare.  The cessation of such a facility will have an impact on equine welfare here and ECNI are continuing to monitor the situation on an on-going basis.  In the region of 1,000 horses per annum were legally slaughtered in Northern Ireland but the facility has very recently ceased its equine operation.

ECNI will be meeting with the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development early next week to discuss these issues.

ECNI has made a number of recommendations to government in the report which followed a full public consultation on the issue in 2012. They are not persuaded that a statutory position on the status of the horse is necessary or desirable. It needs to be recognised however that the horse and equine businesses are an important part of rural communities and that the horse as a grazing animal is a part of the overall agriculture system in terms of its contribution to rural life, land stewardship and to the many farming families involved. It is vital that the sector receives support from government at this critical time to ensure that it cannot only survive but continue to contribute to society in economic, sporting and social terms.

ECNI therefore made the following recommendations to DARD:-

· The 1949 Act should not be amended to designate the horse as an agricultural animal

· DARD should be responsible for the health and welfare of equines but should not apply movement restrictions similar to other farm animals, except in relevant disease outbreak situations

· DARD should commission a review of the horse passport system

· DARD should recognise the horse as part of rural life contributing to farming life through grazing and as part of farm diversification

· DARD should make a case to DFP for rates relief for breeding establishments similar to England and ROI. In addition, a review of the overall rates situation for the equine sector needs to be undertaken. The physical and mental health benefits associated with riding, along with the educational role played by riding establishments should be highlighted as part of this

· In the 2014-2021 Rural Development Plan, DARD should specifically look to measures which can enhance the potential of the equine industry for rural areas

It should be noted that the recommendation in relation to a review of the Passport System has taken on increased relevance following the recent articles in the press regarding equine health and welfare and is an issue which ECNI will continue to emphasise particularly in light of the discontinuation of the National Equine Database in September 2012.