Northern Ireland Food & Drink

02 December 2010

NIFDA, the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association has launched its manifesto for next years’ Assembly elections, proposing a plan for the creation of 15,000 new jobs in the agri-food sector. The manifesto, which outlines a series of measures designed to grow the agri-food sector strongly asserts that Northern Ireland is ‘good at food and drink’!

NIFDA LAUNCH ROADMAP TO CREATION OF 15000 NEW JOBS IN AGRI-FOOD SECTOR     

NIFDA, the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association has launched its manifesto for next years’ Assembly elections, proposing a plan for the creation of 15,000 new jobs in the agri-food sector. The manifesto, which outlines a series of measures designed to grow the agri-food sector strongly asserts that Northern Ireland is ‘good at food and drink’!

The launch of the manifesto comes after a sustained period of lobbying on behalf of the sector, highlighting how agri-food has turned over £3.2 Billion in the last year, employing 20,000 people directly and supporting 72,000 more in farming and support services. The document highlights how from 2007 to 2009 it grew its turnover by £429 million, and argues that the NI agri-food sector has shown the tenacity grow in the most difficult economic climate for many years.

Speaking ahead of the document’s launch, Tony O’Neill, chairman of NIFDA said that the sector can now enter a period of sustainable growth, if all of the relevant stakeholders can come together,

“I am convinced that there is a huge untapped pool of talent and energy, which if resourced properly and encouraged will build a significant Agri-Food industry for the twenty first century in Northern Ireland. This will bring our children the security and prosperity they need. We are good at food and drink. “

The manifesto outlines the following actions;

1. Prioritise agri food through working with the main stakeholders in the sector including high level representatives of DARD, DETI, Invest NI, NIFDA and the UFU in order to draw up a ‘roadmap’ for the future growth of the sector. This initiative should be outcome focused, with the findings then to be adopted by the Executive as a centre piece of its economic strategy.
2. Support the creation of sustainable jobs, including the establishment of ring fenced funding to accelerate added value, export led, and sustainable food production.
3. Remove barriers to growth including easing the cost of regulatory burden and prioritising the economic case of planning applications – planning needs to be faster.
4. Encourage green competitiveness through supporting micro-generation, developing the gas pipeline and cutting electricity costs.
5. Help NI food and drink add value through supporting innovation in new products and developing new processes to boost farm and factory productivity.

NIFDA Chief Executive said that the plans to rapidly grow the sector were serious and realistic. He added that NIFDA would now be taking its lobbying campaign out across Northern Ireland,

“We will now begin an exercise in meeting as many MLAs as possible as we believe that we can create jobs in every town, village and city in Northern Ireland. Action is required now; standing still is not an option. Our nearest competitors in the Irish Republic and Scotland have already committed significant resources into the growth of their agri-food sectors. Recent developments in the Irish economy will clearly result in added momentum in the drive to achieve growth. Their success will only threaten our future.”