UFU President Graham Furey said, “There is a lot of uncertainty among poultry growers about the future of their industry because no agreement has yet been reached on a solution allowing them to practically dispose of poultry litter. What is certain is that the European Commission are insisting that the EU Nitrates Directive and IPPC Directive must be adhered to in Northern Ireland and therefore a solution must be agreed to secure the future of thousands of jobs in the local poultry sector”.

“The quantities of poultry litter produced in Northern Ireland can no longer practically be land-spread as it has been in the past due to EU Environmental legislation. There is simply not enough suitable land available. The UFU have been seeking a resolution to this issue since 2002 and have been involved with independent scientific experts in several groups attempting to find alternatives to land-spreading. All of these individual scientific examinations of alternative disposal methods consistently recommended the combustion of broiler litter as an alternative utilisation for almost all of this litter produced”.

Graham Furey outlined the UFU’s position on proposals for a plant to generate green electricity from poultry litter which have been submitted and are currently going through the Planning process.

Mr Furey said, “With time running out, the Rose Energy project is the only proposal on the table that will safeguard the future of the poultry industry and the farm businesses which depend on the industry for their livelihoods. Against this background, the UFU has decided to support this proposal so that the poultry industry can move forward and meet the challenge of these EU Environmental Directives. The poultry industry is a job creator in the local economy and has been an important diversification option for many farming families. The Nitrates and IPPC Directives have imposed very tight restrictions on the industry and a solution has to be agreed upon”.

Mr Furey added, “We have had regular dialogue with representatives from local residents who oppose the proposal. Their views should be taken into account as part of the ongoing planning process. This is the only proposal offering a way forward for our poultry producers”.