By Violet Brown
VEGETABLES are rotting in the ground as they can’t be harvested because of the incessant rainfall, a Comber farmer has warned.
Paul Hamilton said as the weather has been so bad since the end of October, his crops are ‘deteriorating badly’ because his fields are so sodden he cannot get onto them to harvest.
The plight of local farmers has prompted Strangford MLA Michelle McIlveen to appeal to Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir to bring forward a support package for potato and vegetable farmers impacted by extreme rainfall and flooding.
Mr Hamilton grows potatoes and other vegetables for supermarkets on his Comber farm. “We can’t get harvesting. The staff are in place but we can’t get into the fields because of constant water,” he explained, adding they had exhausted all of the dry land long ago.
He said the persistent rainfall had led to a build up of water which had left the fields in a sodden state.
“It is a real struggle – the crop in the ground is deteriorating very badly”, he said. “It has been raining since the last week of October, there has hardly been two or three dry days in a row.”
Mr Hamilton added November was ‘really wet’ and there had only been ‘one dry week’ in December.
He specialises in parsnips which have to be harvested every day. “It is a really delicate crop – the water makes it go soggy and if there is any water at all it breaks up,” Mr Hamilton explained. “Because it is white people expect it to be perfect with no black marks or bruises.”
Miss McIlveen said potato and vegetable growers were facing extremely challenging circumstances as a result of the persistent heavy rain.
“For family-run farms in particular, these pressures come on top of rising input costs and ongoing market uncertainty,” she said.
“Immediate action is required to prevent long-term damage to what is a vital sector within our agri-food industry.”
The MLA said Northern Ireland’s potato and vegetable sector played a crucial role in food security and the local economy, supporting jobs throughout the supply chain.
“I have asked the Minister to outline what steps his department will take to support those affected, including whether a targeted financial assistance scheme or emergency support package will be made available,” Miss McIlveen added.
“The huge cost in preparing fields, sowing and caring for a crop which is then lost would be devastating for any small business”.
The Strangford MLA continued: “Farmers cannot simply absorb the losses caused by exceptional weather. Government must respond swiftly and proportionately to ensure the sustainability of these businesses.”
At the time of going to press, Mr Muir had not responded to Miss McIlveen’s written question in the Assembly.
