In the UK, plans have been submitted to build the UK’s largest pig farm which has the potential to house 30,000 pigs.
The proposed new plant at County Antrim, in Northern Ireland is set to be 14 hectares in total and will have its own anaerobic digester.
Plans however have to date been met with objections from local residents.
The Ulster Farmers' Union says it believes celebrity views from overseas should not be allowed to take precedence over those of people in Northern Ireland.
It believes that with robust planning and environmental controls here, there is no need for pressure groups to use this development as a vehicle to seek publicity for their views.
“There can be no question that their involvement attracts media attention – but at the end of the day the views of campaigners like Brian May, Martin Shaw or Jenny Seagrove should not weigh more heavily than those of people who live in the area, or the thousands who work in processing jobs that depend on supplies coming from local farms”, said pig farmer and UFU deputy president, Ivor Ferguson.
Mr Ferguson said he could understand the concerns raised by people over issues such as smells, traffic, noise and environmental pollution. “These are all justifiable concerns and it is right that these and other issues are addressed as part of the planning process – as would be the case with any other business,” he said.
The UFU said a campaign was being orchestrated against the development, simply because of its scale. However with demand for food set to grow, creating opportunities for farmers and food processors – and with the potential to bring new jobs to the biggest sector of the economy – the UFU believes policy makers here cannot ignore the reality that scale, efficiency and high animal welfare standards can go hand in hand. “The recent Agri Food Strategy report said that pig production in Northern Ireland needed to increase by 40 per cent. That has to come from expanding existing units, making this an issue that is about the future of the entire industry and not a single pig farm,” said Mr Ferguson.
While the activist group focus has been on the scale of this unit, it is in fact not particularly big in a global context, and Northern Ireland needs to be globally competitive. There are, for example, individual units in Brazil producing over 100,000 pigs, while in north America units produce more pigs than Northern Ireland – even allowing for this new unit going ahead. “As someone who has been a pig farmer for many years, regardless of scale one thing is certain. If livestock are not happy in their environment they will not thrive, and that applies whether they are in units with tens or thousands of pigs. That is a key reassurance when it comes to animal welfare standards,” said Mr Ferguson.
The UFU says it understands the concerns people have expressed about the scale of the unit and animal welfare. It says outdoor pig units, which are common in England, are not suited to the wet climate here. It says there is a challenge for the industry to allay animal welfare and other concerns people have about farming on this scale. “Everyone needs to have confidence in the planning system and other controls in place in Northern Ireland. People should be reassured by the government oversight of animal welfare and environmental controls on farms, which are tougher than anywhere else,” said Mr Ferguson, adding that while the UFU welcomed a debate of the issues this must be driven by local people and their concerns, and not based around an agenda set by celebrities and activist groups with no interest in the Northern Ireland economy. “They see this as an issue to use for their own ends. We in Northern Ireland should be confident in our own opinions and free to set our own agenda to debate these important issues. At the same time we need to believe in our own planning process and the technical and agricultural advice officials will seek before deciding one way or the other about this development,” concluded Mr Ferguson.
