Policy Options for the NI Suckler Beef and Sheep Sector

Clients: Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and Northern Ireland Meat Exporters’ Association (NIMEA)

Aims and Objectives

The project aim was to identify the policy framework and associated measures that will deliver a sustainably competitive Northern Irish suckler beef and sheep sector that provides a fair income to productive farmers, enables processors to be internationally competitive whilst delivering public goods, particularly environmental and societal outcomes, which are valued by Northern Irish society and contribute to a vibrant economy. Its objectives included;

• Identify the reasons for the recent decline in suckler cow numbers and variability in the scale of sheep production in NI.
• Conduct a review of the impact of historical and current agricultural policies in beef and sheep producing countries on suckler cow and breeding sheep numbers, the environment and society.
• Provide an evidence-based analysis of the impact of the existing suckler beef and sheep industry on the NI; a) economy b) environment c) society.
• Undertake a review of the net benefit of beef and lamb production as a public good.
• Propose a range of options for support measures that will demonstrate the potential economic, environmental, and social outcomes (benefits) that can be delivered by a viable suckler beef and sheep industry.

What We Delivered:

• A detailed project report which;

• • Set-out the key reasons for the decline in suckler cow numbers and variability in the scale of NI sheep production since the early 1980s.
  • A detailed review of NI agricultural policies pre and post EEC accession as well as an in-depth examination of previous studies looking at policy reform and strategy in the past 10-15 years.
  • Evaluation of agricultural policies and strategic initiatives focusing on the beef and sheep sector in the rest of the UK as well as the EU-27 (including Ireland, Germany, Austria) and selected non-EU countries (including Norway, Switzerland, Australia and Canada).
  • A detailed analysis for five potential policy options for the NI suckler beef and sheep sector which included an analysis of public money for public goods schemes which encompassed a review of the benefit of the beef and lamb sector as a public good.
  • Proposals on the future policy framework for the NI suckler beef and sheep sector outlining how it would evolve from the status quo. This includes the flagship Environment and Productivity Support (EPS) mechanism which has a greater focus on achieving productivity gains on-farm whilst simultaneously contributing to environmental sustainability. The analysis also included an assessment of the impact of the policy proposals on the farm-level.
  • A summary of the research feedback on other policy areas which also have a significant influence on farm performance. This included taxation policy (encompassing land mobility), trade and market access, labour policy, planning and divorce law.
  • A clear set of conclusions and recommendations outlining what is needed to deliver a viable and competitive suckler beef and sheep sector for the future.

• Two presentations summarising the key findings to key stakeholders including the LMC, UFU, NIMEA and DAERA.
• The Andersons Centre was also commissioned shortly afterwards to do a similar project for the dairy sector. Both these projects played an influential role in the subsequent development of the agricultural policy framework in Northern Ireland.