Focus on Fermanagh

​Just before Christmas, the Groups held a breakfast with over 50 attendees where guest speaker was Glenn Cuddy, UFU Deputy President. Glenn gave an overview of discussions he and the office bearer team have been having and lobbying on in relation to issues affecting Northern Ireland farmers. Topics he covered included the IHT issue, agricultural policy, food security, TB, Foot & Mouth, bluetongue and planning issues amongst other things.

To kick off the new year, the annual President’s County Roadshow was held in the Killyhevlin Hotel with a large crowd in attendance to hear from the UFU Presidential Team & CEO and voice their concerns and questions to the top table.

The 25th January last was the UK nationwide day of action in relation to the proposed inheritance tax changes. In a powerful show of solidarity, farmers from across County Fermanagh came together to demonstrate visual support for the #StopTheFamilyFarmTax campaign. As one of the seven tractor rallies across Northern Ireland organised by the UFU, hundreds of farmers joined the County Fermanagh event in protest against proposed inheritance tax changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief. These changes would place an unbearable burden on family farms, jeopardising their future for generations to come. This is not just a local issue; it’s a UK-wide battle, and farmers from England, Scotland, and Wales all joint forces on this date to ensure their voices were heard loud and clear.

This day of unity was a significant moment in the fight to protect family farms showing politicians that agriculture across the whole of the UK is united in rejecting this terrible policy.