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75 jobs to go?

Thursday, 29 July 2010

Councillor William Irwin outside the AFBI site in Loughgall with a copy of the memo which has been sent to staff. ND3003

LOUGHGALL has been rocked with the news that up to 75 jobs could go at one of the leading employers in the area.
Belt-tightening measures could force the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute to close by the end of March 2013.
And workers are anxiously waiting to learn their fate if the local AFBI station - funded by the Department of Agriculture and Regional Development - is axed.
The bombshell was dropped in a memo to all staff at Loughgall, sent from the institute's Belfast HQ by its deputy chief executive officer, Dr Mike Camlin, and passed to the Ulster Gazette this week. It was to inform staff before learning "through rumours and from any other sources" that vacating the Loughgall base was one of a number of "cost-saving options" being explored.
Local DUP MLA William Irwin - who sits on the Agriculture Committee at Stormont - is furious.
“I'm shocked and dismayed - this is a real body-blow for the community," he said.
As well as the future of the workforce hanging in the balance, he has warned of the potentially devastating effects to the local economy if the work currently undertaken is shifted elsewhere or, worse still, shelved altogether.
Vital research in the fields of mushrooms, potatoes and agri-forestry is in jeopardy.
But that's far from the whole story.
FAMOUS
The Orchard County's world famous reputation as a hub for apple production and development could be dealt a crippling blow too, if the closure of the site - one of seven AFBI stations across Northern Ireland - is rubber-stamped.
Said William Irwin: "Loughgall is the only location that carries out research into apples in Northern Ireland, a sector which contributes over £30 million per year to the Armagh economy".
The MLA said much of the work - which also includes grassland breeding - has a "commercial focus" and, as such, is "extremely beneficial" to farmers across the Province.
He also revealed that, in recent months, new commercial deals had been signed for both the mushroom and potato research programmes.
Staff - demanding answers - contacted Mr Irwin after receiving the memo, while he, in turn, was swift in calling for clarity from Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew.
IMPACT
The MLA went on: "I have no doubt that this will have a direct impact on research programmes based at AFBI sites such as Hillsborough.
“Staff are obviously concerned for their futures and, with a total of 75 staff employed in Loughgall, any withdrawal by AFBI would have a severe impact on the local area.
"I believe this proposal is totally unacceptable. DARD must protect core frontline services to assist farmers and research programmes that are commercially focused and supported by the wider industry.
“I have no doubt that significant savings will have to be made across DARD, but it is totally unacceptable that they are simply putting a red pen through vital research programmes.
“With falling incomes for farmers - and likely changes to EU support - it is vital there is strong research carried out within Northern Ireland that is commercially focused in order to help the sector to survive in the future.
“As much of the land based at Loughgall is under a long term lease, it is unlikely that the sale of Loughgall will bring any significant returns, to either DARD or the Northern Ireland Executive".
A spokesperson for DARD, meanwhile, told the Gazette that all departments had been asked by Finance and Personnel to prepare draft savings delivery plans.
“DARD is currently preparing for consideration a wide range of options for reduction and is still at the information gathering stage," he said. "No decisions have been taken".

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