AQW 23911/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 07/10/2021
Answered On Date: 21/10/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure the effective operation of food and drink supply chains in the context of labour shortages.

Answer:

I recognise the enormous pressure that the agri-food industry is experiencing with regards to labour problems, particularly in relation to the number of slaughter plant operatives and butchers in our abattoirs and processing plants. As you know Immigration Policy is a reserved matter so I have pressed the importance of this issue upon top levels of Government in Whitehall on a number of occassions, in the hope that adjustments to the Immigraton System could remedy the situation as quickly as possible. We have seen some movement in the recent announcement on additional temporary visas for HGV drivers and poultry workers but it is not enough and I will keep pressing for more.

The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) provides a range of education, knowledge transfer and innovation programmes to develop the competencies and values of those entering and working in the Northern Ireland agri-food industry, to support its sustainable growth.

CAFRE actively promotes career opportunities across the agri-food sector through recruitment activities with schools and through partnership with industry. Career promotion events and bursary provision has led to increased enrolments at CAFRE this academic year.

Staff at Loughry Campus work particularly closely with businesses and stakeholders in the food processing sector and are actively working with companies to promote opportunities for employment within the sector to CAFRE students, graduates and new entrants. Through its partnership with Queen’s University Belfast, Invest NI and the NI Food and Drink Association, CAFRE is also actively investigating the innovative use of robotics and automation as a means to mitigate the challenge of labour shortage.

My Department has developed a number of measures that allow us to continuously assess the health of Northern Ireland’s food supply system. These include a Cross Departmental Food Supply Forum, A Public Sector Working Group, a Northern Ireland Food Supply Contingency Plan, and a Food Observatory Report. These allow DAERA to provide strategic and consistent direction across the Northern Ireland Executive on the current and foreseeable pressures, on the entire food supply chain into and throughout Northern Ireland. I feel this will encourage and support measures to maintain the food supply chains flexibility and resilience.

My officials continue to track the health of the food supply chain through the Food Observatory Report and the supporting Food Supply Impact Assessment.