North Fermanagh UFU Group

​My name is Andrew Little. I grew up and still live on the family farm which is located just outside Tempo. I am a second generation farmer on the home farm.

We have farmed here at Drumderg Farm since 1979 and enjoy looking after a 120 strong dairy herd as well as rearing replacement heifers on just over 200 acres of lush Fermanagh grassland! We have also recently introduced a herd of Simmentals to the farm.

In my teenage years I helped out around the country relief milking part-time, before returning to work at home full-time in 2017, and building the farm up to what it is today. I consider myself to have attended the “university of life” and the family farm is today ran by my wife Margaret and myself, alongside my father, Raymond.

I have been a member of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster in excess of 12 years, holding various club and county roles. I assumed the role of vice-president of the organisation having been elected in 2014, and held this position for two years. Through my involvement in YFCU, I sat as the county YFCU representative on the UFU executive committee and that gave me a flavour for UFU life!

I have been a member of the inaugural UFU next generation group and have also sat on the UFU dairy committee, UFU environment committee, UFU executive and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council agricultural liaison Group.

Sitting on the dairy committee, I have seen firsthand the hard work that goes into the structure of the UFU and my hope would be that we can cement a sustainable milk price for Northern Ireland farmers and better contract arrangements. Through the environment committee, I hope that we will be able to help get the prospective across that farmers are the carers of the environment, and that going forward, government departments will see this and take into consideration in previous agricultural schemes and their suggested NAP proposals.

I am delighted to see the young farmer voices being listened to in UFU with many holding central and county positions, and through this, I would hope that we could shape future agricultural policy. As farmers, I feel we have a responsibility to show people what we do and to educate them about where food comes from and the high standards of animal welfare here in Northern Ireland.

A few years back, we took part in the UTV programme Rare Breeds. It was a great opportunity to broadcast what we do on our farm. We also run a social media account, Drumderg Farm, on which Margaret and myself enjoy showing the public what an ordinary farm like ours gets up to on a daily basis. I think it is important that farmers show their hand to the public to explain where their food comes from and give the public an opportunity to engage with farmers and give them an education of the produce we have on offer.

I would encourage everyone to get involved in their local UFU group and together with one strong collective voice, we really can and will make a difference.