Agri Committee needs more teeth

Tom Elliott, has told Farming Life that the Agriculture Committee at Stormont, of which he is vice-chairman, is starting to make a difference when it comes determining the future prospects of farmers in Northern Ireland.

"But changes could be made to make us even more effective," he added. "At the moment we can take evidence from all the various stakeholder groups within the agri-food sectors and make recommendations to the Executive.

However, the various Ministers are under no obligation to act on our proposals. We are now well past the settling in stage when it comes to the operation of the new political arrangements at Stormont. Farmers want their elected representatives to have more of a say in shaping the policies which will have a direct bearing on their day-to-day lives.

"Where agriculture is concerned, these are determined exclusively by the Farm Minister. Moving forward, I believe it would be appropriate to find ways of providing the Agriculture Committee with a more active role in shaping agricultural policy in Northern Ireland.