I kept my promise - Now farmers must make their voices heard

Jonathan Buckley MLA said: “During the summer, after the shocking incident at Fivemiletown where 51 cattle were shot in an open field, I made a promise on behalf of the DUP to our farming community.

“I said I would take the anger and frustration I was hearing from farmers right across Northern Ireland and bring it to Stormont.

“Farmers told me they had lost confidence in Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir. I promised them I would make sure that message was heard loud and clear. This week, I kept that promise.

“I submitted a motion of no confidence in the Agriculture Minister at the Northern Ireland Assembly. At the time of writing, more than 24 MLAs have put their names to it, including representatives from the DUP, TUV and two Ulster Unionists. I’m calling on those other members to immediately sign this motion.

“But this should not be about party politics. It should not be about orange and green. It is about right and wrong, and it is about the future of farming in Northern Ireland.

“I spend a lot of time speaking to farmers. I hear about the pressures they are under, the worries they have for the future and the frustration they feel when decisions are made that affect their farms, their families and their livelihoods,” the Upper Bann MLA added,

“These are not just businesses on a balance sheet. For many people, the farm has been in the family for generations. Farmers get up every morning, in all weather, to look after their livestock, work their land and put food on our tables. They deserve to be listened to.

“At the time of writing, no Sinn Féin, SDLP or Ulster Unionist MLAs have signed the motion. But the door is still open. Every MLA has the opportunity to put their name to it. And that is where I need the farming community to help.

“If you feel as strongly about this as so many farmers have told me they do, then please make your voice heard.

“Get in touch with your local MLAs. It does not matter which party they belong to. Phone them. Email them. Speak to them when you see them. Tell them how you feel.

“Ask them where they stand. And if you believe they should support this motion, ask them to sign it.

“Your MLAs are there to represent you. They need to know what farmers in their constituencies are thinking and feeling,” he added.

“I have done what I promised I would do. I have taken the anger and frustration I have heard from the farming community and put it on the floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Now I need you to make sure your representatives hear it too.

“This is bigger than one political party. It is about our farms, our families, our rural communities and the future of agriculture in Northern Ireland. Farming needs a strong voice at Stormont. So please, use yours.”