Farming and food on the menu as Agriculture Minister visits

Mid and East Antrim Council and North Antrim MP Ian Paisley have hosted a visit by the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Chief Executive, Anne Donaghy, Mayor Cllr Maureen Morrow and Ian Paisley MP welcomed DAERA Minister Edwin Poots MLA to Ballymena on Thursday morning.
A Council delegation led by Mayor Councillor Maureen Morrow and Chair of Borough Growth Councillor Gregg McKeen joined businesses from the local agricultural sector for the special reception at The Braid in Ballymena .The visit to Ballymena is one of the first such engagements undertaken by Minister Poots since taking up his post.Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Chief Executive, Anne Donaghy, Mayor Cllr Maureen Morrow and Ian Paisley MP welcomed DAERA Minister Edwin Poots MLA to Ballymena on Thursday morning.
A Council delegation led by Mayor Councillor Maureen Morrow and Chair of Borough Growth Councillor Gregg McKeen joined businesses from the local agricultural sector for the special reception at The Braid in Ballymena .The visit to Ballymena is one of the first such engagements undertaken by Minister Poots since taking up his post.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Chief Executive, Anne Donaghy, Mayor Cllr Maureen Morrow and Ian Paisley MP welcomed DAERA Minister Edwin Poots MLA to Ballymena on Thursday morning. A Council delegation led by Mayor Councillor Maureen Morrow and Chair of Borough Growth Councillor Gregg McKeen joined businesses from the local agricultural sector for the special reception at The Braid in Ballymena .The visit to Ballymena is one of the first such engagements undertaken by Minister Poots since taking up his post.

A Council delegation led by Mayor Councillor Maureen Morrow and Chair of Borough Growth Councillor Gregg McKeen joined businesses from the local agricultural sector for the special reception at The Braid in Ballymena on Thursday morning.

The visit to Ballymena is one of the first such engagements undertaken by Minister Poots since taking up his post.

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Minister Poots said: “I thank Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the opportunity to visit and meet with a number of key agri-food businesses within the area. I am all too aware of the challenges that are currently being faced by the agri-food sector, however, it was of great benefit for me to hear first-hand, the impact these issues are having on businesses, specifically in this area.

“I wish to reiterate my continued commitment to continue to provide support for the agri-food industry to ensure its sustainability in the future.”

Mid and East Antrim Mayor, Cllr Maureen Morrow, said: “The agriculture and food production industries are vitally important to the economy of Mid and East Antrim and indeed to Northern Ireland as a whole. During the visit by Minister Poots, Council discussed various challenges which face agribusiness, such as rising production costs and the need for the sustainability of agricultural businesses to be considered in the context of a climate emergency.

Ian Paisley MP said: “I am delighted the Minister accepted my invitation to our area, which is a key player in agriculture and the environment in Northern Ireland.”