THE DUP's Edwin Poots is to step back from farming to avoid a potential conflict of interest as Stormont's new agriculture minister.
Mr Poots, who grew up on a farm outside Lisburn, Co Antrim, said he was completing the paperwork needed to formalise his decision.
According to Stormont's register of MLAs' interests, Mr Poots works on the family farm 40 hours a month but receives no money.
He owns agricultural land at Crossan, Lisnastrain and Growell and jointly-owns a small holding in Hillsborough, Co Down, with a family member.
According to a BBC report, Mr Poots said climate change is the biggest single challenge he will face as agriculture minister.
He said he aims to cut agricultural emissions of ammonia and greenhouse gases while also finding ways to let farm businesses flourish.
Mr Poots said he wanted significant changes to how farms are supported financially, based on the amount of land farmers hold.
He said money should be given to productive farms but wanted hill farmers' incomes to be supported through a beef payment scheme.
The minister said given that Stormont elections will be called in two years, the agreement of a new agriculture policy will have to be done under a "very tight timeframe".
Asked about Brexit, Mr Poots said he would resist checks at Northern Ireland ports, saying "we've have no intention of putting infrastructure in place".
He said any checks could take place at company premises.
The minister also said he was considering a badger cull in a bid to tackle bovine TB.
He said he was looking at two options, one of which would involve a more extensive cull than the other.
