Agri Food Sector Market Intervention

Committee's letter to main stakeholders asking for their views and opinions

Dear stakeholder,

On Tuesday 19^th May, the Finance Minister made a Statement to the NI Assembly regarding the Covid 19 response. In that Statement, the Finance Minister announced an additional £30.3m of Covid 19 funding for DAERA as follows:

The AERA Committee held an urgent meeting with the Minister on Friday 22^nd May to discuss this funding in general and the £25m for the Agri Food Sector Market Intervention in particular. The Committee heard the Minister’s initial thinking on how the Agri Food Sector Market Intervention fund may be used. It agreed to write to the Minister with its opinion on this matter.  However, it also agreed that it would seek the views, in writing, of the main industry stakeholders about their opinions and thoughts on how this funding may be used to best effect.

A written record (Hansard) of the meeting with the Minister will be available in due course. In the meantime, it is possible to view a video of the meeting at the following link: 

https://niassembly.tv/committee-for-agriculture-environment-and-rural-affairs-meeting-friday-22-may-2020/

The Committee would request that you provide any thoughts that you may have on this funding to it in writing as quickly as possible and by 9am on Thursday 28^th if at all possible.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course

Yours sincerely

Stella McArdle
Clerk, Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs