To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what plans he has to (i) help reduce carbon emissions from Northern Ireland’s agricultural waste; and (ii) help farmers diversify their business to reduce carbon emissions from agricultural waste and develop more sustainable produce.

Agricultural wastes arise from a wide range of natural and non-natural materials including farm manures, plastics and packaging. My department’s College of Agriculture Food & Rural Enterprises (CAFRE) will continue to deliver education and advice to the agri-food industry on reducing carbon emissions from waste. While manure and slurry is not considered a waste when used as a fertiliser, farmers must continue to comply with the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) 2019-2022 regulations and will be encouraged to follow guidelines in the Codes of Good Agricultural Practice for the Prevention of Pollution of Water, Air and Soil and Ammonia Emissions. My department will also continue to progress other initiatives including plans to consult on a strategy to reduce ammonia emissions, issuing of Pollution Prevention and Control Farm Permits, promoting use of technologies like low emissions slurry spreading equipment and working with the Greenhouse Gas Implementation Partnership.

My Department has previously supported investment in Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment (LESSE). This was done through the Manure Efficiency Technology Scheme (METS) and through both tiers of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme – Capital (FBIS-C). I am also considering what further support for LESSE could be provided through FBIS-C, taking account of the issues and challenges presented for the farming sector by the COVID-19 situation, and the impact of the easing of lockdown restrictions.

CAFRE will continue to deliver sustainable production knowledge transfer to the agricultural sector, including delivery of new Environmental Business Development Groups (eBDG) focusing on environmentally sustainable farming systems. This new programme will also include a review of carbon emissions that arise from agricultural waste.