To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (i) for his assessment of how farmers are currently being financially supported by government, in comparison to previous EU funding sources; (ii) to detail the issues this is creating for farmers; and (iii) to detail the steps he is taking to mitigate the impact on farmers of rising costs of feed, fertiliser, energy, and other costs associated with agriculture.

EU funding for farmers and land managers in Northern Ireland has been maintained by the UK Government in cash terms since 2020 and will continue until the end of the 2024-25 financial year.

My officials are bringing forward a balanced and comprehensive Farm Support and Development Programme in codesign with stakeholder organisations. There are options for every farm business under this new Programme regardless of size or scale of activity, but it requires them to change their behaviour and deliver better outcomes.

In 2023 direct payments continued to be paid earlier than normal and with a 2.32% increase to the Basic Payment component. My Department continues to bring forward new policies and programmes designed to help farm businesses improve productivity, resilience and environmental sustainability. CAFRE also continues to offer relevant training and support.