Subject to Royal Assent, the Agriculture Bill will provide powers to amend legacy EU rules in relation to the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme (FVAS), and another legacy scheme, Agri-Food Information and Promotions, in line with local policy priorities.

Following the Assembly debate, Minister Muir said he was grateful to the Assembly for supporting what he described as an “important piece of legislation”.

“The Agriculture Bill enables me to target the finite Executive budget earmarked for agriculture, agri-environment, fisheries, and rural development where it best meets local needs,” said the Minister.

The FVAS provides match-funding to Producer Organisations (POs) in the fruit and vegetable sector, to help them improve their businesses through collaboration. New powers contained in the Bill will provide scope to change the legacy EU legislation, in order to keep pace with local policy needs.

Noting the importance of this support to local growers, Minister Muir added: “I have been clear that the Fruit and Veg Aid Scheme will continue in Northern Ireland after this year.

This means DAERA will support Producer Organisations (POs) with a Head Office in Northern Ireland as they undertake a new three-year Operational Programme, commencing January 2026, and provide certainty and stability to growers at a particularly challenging time. My officials are working at pace to help local growers avail of the support available.

“During its Assembly passage, Members heard that the mushroom industry, the main beneficiary of FVAS support over many years, has been at a competitive disadvantage because the scheme rules in the UK have not kept pace with changes elsewhere.

“This Bill is therefore essential to provide the scope to make changes to the scheme to reflect the specific needs of our local horticulture sector and secure improved economic and environmental outcomes.

“I have asked officials to begin preparatory work on a replacement scheme to be developed with the horticultural sector, informed by a review of the legacy Scheme. I am delighted that the Bill has reached its Final Stage today, and should it receive Royal Assent, work can then begin on formally considering improvements to better support development of our horticultural sector using the Bill’s new powers.”

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The County Armagh company is one of the biggest vegetable growers and suppliers on the island of Ireland and has been supplying Asda since 2008. The relationship has grown in the past 16 years, and today Gilfresh Produce supplies a range of 21 lines of local vegetables to Asda, including cabbage, carrots and swede throughout the local produce season.

Founders of the business, the Gilpin Family, established Gilfresh Produce in 1965, when Thomas Gilpin started his career growing vegetables in a four-acre field. Thomas’ son, William Gilpin joined the family business in 1999, and is the current Managing Director. Today, he leads a team of 140 staff based in the company’s Loughgall headquarters.

“After a difficult start to the growing season in 2024, with the wet weather meaning crops were delayed going into the ground, we’re very pleased to be harvesting local crop, albeit a few weeks later than planned,” said William Gilpin.

“Gilfresh Produce has supplied Asda for just over 16 years now with locally grown in-season vegetables. Asda is a committed supporter of local growers and produce in Northern Ireland and we really value the long-standing relationship we have with them.

Cathy Elliott, NI Local Buying Manager at Asda added: “We have been working with Gilfresh for nearly as long as Asda has been in Northern Ireland, and as we’ve expanded to 16 stores, they have continued to grow with us and supply a wider range of veg to stock our shelves.

“It’s important to us to work with companies who not only have a commitment to local farmers, but also a strong commitment to sustainability in their operations, processes and ultimately our supply chain. This means we can provide our customers with fresh produce that has been harvested and packed locally, as well as being mindful of the environment.”

“We promote a circular economy on site using an anaerobic digester plant and wind turbine to produce our own green energy using waste vegetables. This sustainably powers the site and reduces food waste,” added William.

“Working with large retailers such as Asda has allowed us to invest and take steps to reduce our carbon footprint, protecting our natural resources and enabling us to continue to work in harmony with the local habitat.”

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The roles include permanent positions across a wide range of functions within the business, including operations, production, engineering and apprenticeships.

Speaking about the opportunities, Gary Leslie, Director of Operations, Moy Park said: “We are thrilled to be able to welcome new team members into Ballymena as our live processing line restarts. This brings with it fantastic career opportunities as we continue to invest in our people and facilities to deliver high quality, sustainable food.

“We have roles available across our operations with positions for people whatever stage they are at in their career journey. Recruits will benefit from a competitive package and the wealth of training and career progression programmes we have in place.”

With the company strengthening its operations in Ballymena, Gary says the news is also a welcome one for its farming partners.

“We’ll be working closely with our farming and supply chain partners as customer demand for our products grows in future. We’re proud of our strong agricultural heritage and the commitment of our farmers to our high standards across animal welfare and environmental sustainability.”

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With the cost of living crisis biting many household budgets, M&S has its biggest ever £5 and under gift range and its online ordering service – from £40.

Shoppers are looking increasingly at the online option – 160k people already search M&S Christmas range online – before the launch, with a 206% increase in facebook activity.

With over 450 new and upgraded products, the company believes it has truly caught the Christmas spirit this year. Its slow cooked turkey crown – ready to serve up in less than an hour – is set to be a top seller this year, with an increased emphasis on traditional Christmas favourites – with 13 new slow cooked options available to take the pressure off.

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For 2022, Fyffes has chosen food banks and food charities as the recipients of its European and North American community investment donations. In addition to the regular donations of fresh fruits, Fyffes has donated €10,000 to FoodCloud in Ireland to ensure the organisation can maximise the use of their surplus food to support their 600 community partners.

In addition, Fyffes donated just over €5,000 each to various food charities, including Fareshare in the UK, a long-term partner of Fyffes which will be used to support their logistics and distribution.

These food donations help Fyffes achieve their sustainability commitments, which are to reduce food loss in all our own operations by 80% by 2030; and provide five millions healthy meals to vulnerable communities by 2025 by working with qualified partners.

Fyffes Sustainability Manager Stella Davis said “At Fyffes we are determined to reduce food loss and ensure the surplus reaches people who will benefit from our healthy produce.”

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