Agriculture Ministers from both sides of the border met in Dublin this afternoon to discuss issues of mutual concern - the 12th such meeting in recent years.
The meeting was attended by Brendan Smith and Michelle Gildernew, as well as Robin Newton, Junior Minister at the Office of the First Minister in the North.
The Ministers noted the ongoing progress on the delivery of the draft All-Island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy and that work is in hand to finalise arrangements for a cross-border stakeholder consultation event in the early part of 2010.
The Ministers welcomed a presentation by the Plant Health and Pesticides Steering Group of its comprehensive report on a joint strategic approach to plant health and pesticides.
They noted that the report has identified a significant number of areas of mutual interest that would benefit from an agreed framework for co-ordination and delivery.
A statement after the meeting said the Ministers noted developments on implementation of the CAP Health Check Agreement, the future of the CAP and WTO, the challenges facing the agriculture sector, in particular in relation to greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, and the current situation of the dairy industry.
They requested officials to remain in close contact on these issues.
€7m to be paid in Upland Sheep Scheme
Payments worth €7m to 13,000 hill sheep farmers under Upland Sheep Scheme are to start in early December.
A further €54m will be made available over the next three years in unused CAP funds to support incomes in the sheep sector.
Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith said he expects all the payments will be made by early 2010.
The Minister said that he had been consistently of the view that the sheep sector is one that needs assistance.
Mr Smith also allocated an additional €8m for sheep fencing and mobile handling facilities, to assist sheep farmers in reducing labour input, as part of a new targeted on-farm investment scheme.
