STORMONT departments

have received an unexpected

32 million boost, it was con-
frmed yesterday.
Finance Minister Sammy
Wilson redistributed the un-
spent money, expressing sur-
prise to have so much.
Schemes to improve roads,
tackle unemployment and
combat fuel poverty were the
big winners.
Mr Wilson wondered if min-
isters had been too pessimis-
tic about their ability to make
savings.
Stormonts
32m boost
See page 5
PICTURE:
Pacemaker
The pride of Northern Ireland
Price: 72p (IR 1.05 EURO) Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Man and
sons on
murder
charge
THE Church of Ireland is to
hold a two-day conference to
discuss human sexuality after
one of its own ministers en-
tered into a civil partnership.
It was revealed last Septem-
ber that the Very Reverend
Tom Gordon, who is originally
from Portadown, had entered
into a civil partnership with
his long-term partner.
Yesterday the Church an-
nounced it would host a
conference on sexuality and
faith.
Church talks
on sexuality
Since 1737
www.newsletter.co.uk



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Pledge to hunt
down carjackers
POLICE have vowed to clamp
down on carjacking criminals
after three more incidents on
Monday evening.
With the number of attacks
spiralling up to 12 in the last two
weeks, an Assembly member
has warned that someone could
be killed if the recent wave of car
crime continues.
In an effort to ease growing
fears, the citys top police offcer
vowed to hunt down those
responsible when he spoke to the
media at a specially-convened
Press conference yesterday
afternoon.
They are not going to get away
with it because we are going to
hunt them down and let me be
very clear about that, said Chief
Superintendent Alan McCrum.
He said that his offcers were
confdent of making more
arrests and stressed that Belfast
remained a safe city.
There should be no part of
the city which is a no-go area
and the reason why Ive brought
extra resources into the city is to
provide some level of confdence
and reassurance to people.
BY MICHAEL McGLADE
michael.mcglade@jpress.co.uk
Turn to page 4
See page 8
See page 10
INSIDE
Acreage of winter
cereals is slashed
A SURVEY has confrmed that winter cereal acreages for 2011/12 are no more than 50% of what would be expected in a normal year. The work was carried out by Syngentas Raymond Hilman, pictured, who told Farming Life that in some parts of Northern Ireland planting levels are as low as they have been for well over a decade with winter barley acreages most badly affected. Last autumns very wet weather signifcantly delayed the cereal harvest, which meant that growers could not physically get on with their usual autumn planting activities, he continued. In fact, a number of growers
did not get last years harvest completed. In some parts of the province areas of spring barley were not harvested at all. And, again, this is due to the very
wet weather and poor ground conditions that farmers have been coping with over the past four months. Raymond went on to point out that those winter crops which were sown out over the autumn period are looking quite well at the present time. Barley does not like wet conditions and felds sown in the late autumn of last year are refecting this. However, winter wheat crops have come through the wet autumn and winter unscathed, for the most part, he further explained. Looking ahead Raymond confrmed that winter wheat crops can be sown out until the end of January. However, growers should check the recommended planting dates on the varieties they might want to use, he stressed.
But the good news is that in areas which do not dry up for some weeks, spring barley is now a more than competitive option for specialist cereal growers. The new varieties coming on to the market have the potential to yield up to four tonnes per acre. However, they must be managed well. Turning to potatoes, the Syngenta representative pointed out that the current spell of dry weather may well allow producers to get on with the remainder of last seasons main crop harvest over the coming days. Tubers that were not hit by frost and which had a dry lie over the past few weeks should be ft for lifting. However, the core problem facing growers is the poor prices that are available for potatoes at the present time, Raymond concluded.
BY RICHARD HALLERON
All the latest
equestrian news
PAGES 9-13
Pictures and reports
from the YFC
PAGES 14-16
Survey reveals huge decline in planting levels
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
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FARM INSURANCE
CALL BRADY
INSURANCE FOR
A COMPETITIVE
QUOTE ON:
? TRACTOR
INSURANCE
? FARM LIABILITY
? QUADS
? OUTBUILDINGS
? LIVESTOCK Etc.
Call
028 6634 0774
WHEELY GOOD: Samantha Bell gears up for the annual Vintage, Classic and Sports Car Show in Newcastles Slieve Donard Hotel at the end of
January (Friday 27 to Sunday 29). A 101-year-old Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, built for Harland & Wolff chairman Lord Pirrie, and named after the
iconic RMS Titanic, will be one of the star attractions. See full story on page 5.
Don't be u
couch potuto !
Sell your produce n
ClussIeds
Kmul lneuge to clussIed@IurmnglIe.com
Jimmy Seales, 54,
from Ballykeel Road,
Hillsborough (centre),
and his sons Ian Weir,
26, from Derryboy Road,
Killinchy (left), and Jason
Weir, 24, from Raffery
Road near Killinchy
(right), who have been
charged with the murder
of Philip Strickland. The
body of 36-year-old Mr
Strickland was found
with gunshot wounds in a
car just outside Comber
last week
Schools video hit
is hailed by US
songwriter PAGE 13