Speaking on this important issue for the NI poultry industry, the President of the UFU John Thompson, said: “This DARD/AFBI technical review of poultry litter management and disposal options concluded that the industry should consider developing a proto-type poultry litter fuelled gasification plant and also consider options to reduce the costs of shipping litter outside of NI. While we have been and are prepared to consider all possible options, the need for a solution to deal with poultry litter is still required and this is recognised in the report.

“We will study this report in detail however it would appear that gasification has not yet been proven to deal with poultry litter elsewhere. The alternative which the report also proposed to consider options to reduce the costs of shipping litter outside Northern Ireland does not address the need to secure a solution to this issue in the medium or longer term and would add very significant additional costs on an already economically stretched industry."

John Thompson concluded, “Little time remains for Northern Ireland to find a way to comply with the requirements of the EU’s Nitrates and Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directives. The poultry industry needs a long term solution and scientific research has proved that the Rose Energy project so far is the only viable solution for poultry litter. The UFU has been actively seeking a resolution to this issue since 2002 and it is frustrating that we are now in 2012 and we don’t seem to be any further forward.

“We understand that Environment Minister Alex Attwood will be making a decision in relation to the Rose Energy project in the near future and we are hoping that this will be a positive decision that allows the project to move forward."