Ulster Farmers’ Union looks to the future with confidence

The coming days will see the organisation’s office bearer team travel across Northern Ireland’s six counties courtesy of the 20206 series of presidential meetings.

But before setting off on their travels, they met with the press to discuss the myriad opportunities and challenges that will impact on local agriculture during the period ahead.

National food security

The issue of national food security is set to rise in significance as the world becomes a more volatile place.

This is the strongly held view of UFU president, William Irvine.

He further explained: “Given the evolving situations in countries such as the Ukraine and Venezuela, it’s hard for farmers not to think of food security as being a critically important issue at national level.

“This, in turn, opens up a future for agriculture within which greater volumes of food are produced on an increasingly sustainable basis.

Irvine is also conscious of the continuing re-alignment of international trade agreements and points to the ongoing Mercosur: European Union (EU) negotiations to this end as a case in point.

He commented: “I think the Mercosur deal is over the line at this stage.

“It’s hard to see how it can be unpicked, despite the fact that France and Ireland voted against it.

“Italy voted in favour of the agreement, very much at the last minute.

“So is there a possibility that a reversal of this position could become reality as the treaty is discussed by members of the European parliament?

“Time will tell.”

The UFU president confirmed that the new Mercosur trading arrangement will allow 99,000t of beef imports into the EU on an annual basis at a 7.5% tariff.

This figure represents 1.5% of total European beef output.

William Irvine again: “The decision to approve the Mercosur deal heightens concerns about whether European farmers will be adequately protected from lower-cost imports produced to standards that would not be permitted here.”

“The Union has fully supported the Irish Farmers Association in its attempts to prevent the Mercosur deal having such a negative impact on European agriculture.

“And this high level of co-operation between the two organisations will be maintained.

He added: “Obviously, the UK is no longer an EU member state. However, the Union retains strong ties with Brussels courtesy of its links with the COPA organisation.”

Differences in regulatory oversight, animal welfare requirements, traceability and the use of production practices banned in the EU remain a central concern for the Union’s presidential team.

According to William Irvine, the UFU has consistently stressed that European producers should not be expected to compete with products produced under conditions that fall short of the standards they are legally required to meet.

He concluded: “The approval of this deal raises fundamental questions about fairness in international trade.

“Farmers are already operating under tight margins and stringent regulations.

“Opening the door to increased imports produced to lower standards risks undermining confidence, competitiveness and the long-term viability of family farms.”

Nutrients Action Programme

Meanwhile, the presidential team at the UFU firmly believes that a new Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) can be delivered for Northern Ireland during 2026.

And it won’t be a case of simply coming up with a re-worded version of the proposals that were published at the beginning of May 2025.

UFU deputy president, John McLenaghan, insists that a new NAP can allow for agriculture in Northern Ireland to produce more food in an increasingly sustainable way.

He added: “The original NAP proposals contained 40 proposals. Prior to this previous reviews of NAP would have addressed no more than 10 issues of concern.

“Given the significant scope of the proposals published last May, there was an obvious responsibility on the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural affairs to discuss these matters with all relevant stakeholder groups before putting the matter out to public consultation.

“This didn’t happen, so we are where we are today.”

While recognising the need to get a new NAP deal over the line in an expedient manner, John McLenaghan is making it clear that the negotiations currently underway must not be rushed.

He further explained: “The current format of having a stakeholder group with an independent chair is working well.

“But there is one fundamental end point to this: the UFU will not sign off on a new NAP deal until such times as arrangements are agreed that meet the requirements of farmers in Northern Ireland into the future.”

Significantly, the UFU presidential team link the issues of NAP, planning and ammonia emissions as one block of issues that must be addressed in a combined manner.

This is because all three subject areas are inherently linked

And, according to John McLenaghan, there is a strategic order within which these matters can be resolved.

“The putting in place of realistic planning procedures is the obvious starting point,” he stressed.

“So, for example, It makes no sense at all that farmers cannot invest in new facilities that will act to reduce both ammonia emission levels and the carbon footprint of their businesses because of the current planning regulations.”

More generally, John McLenaghan believes that society as a whole in Northern Ireland has moved in from a position that saw lots of finger pointing in the direction of agriculture when specific environmental issues rose in prominence.

“Lough Neagh is a case in point,” he said.

“We have moved to a position which saw farming conveniently blamed for the algal bloom issue to one of recognising that all stakeholder groups must join forces and come up with a plan that fully re-instates the Lough, no matter how long this takes.”

Bovine tuberculosis

The UFU is calling for the introduction of an accelerated bovine tuberculosis (bTB) campaign.

And the new initiative must contain some form of wildlife intervention.

The matter was highlighted at a press conferring hosted by the Union’s office bearer team prior to the commencement of the organisation’s series of 2026 presidential team.

A recent agreement reached between the departments of agriculture in Belfast and Dublin will allow for a cross border bTB trail in the Tyrone: Donegal area.

It is envisaged that an investigation of the tuberculosis levels in the region’s badger population will be included within the work undertaken.

“But this is only kicking the can down the road,” stressed William Irvine.

“It could take up to five years for this work to be completed.

“Meanwhile, the job of introducing real and meaningful measures that could see bTB levels significantly reduced across Northern Ireland is put on hold.

“What we know now is that Northern Ireland’s farm minister, Andrew Muir, will not be taking any decisive steps in terms of getting to grips with bTB during his term of his office.”

Irvine continued: “Previous bTB trials carried out in Co Down have confirmed the fact that wildlife populations constitute significant sources of bTB infection.”

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s ongoing bTB eradication campaign is costing the public purse £60M on an annual basis.

The UFU’s policy on the matter is centred on the following principle: that rural areas should be home to healthy wildlife and cattle populations living in harmony with each other.

John McLenaghan commented: “Bovine tuberculosis is the overarching issue that impacts on every aspect of farming in Northern Ireland.

“The disease has been eradicated in other parts of the world, using the current skin test.

“But it is worthy of note that wildlife interventions were required to make this happen.

“So, it’s important that similar steps are taken here in Northern Ireland.”

He concluded: “Previously, the Union had agreed that farmers would pay for the cost of a wildlife intervention.

“But at its heart, this is very much an animal welfare issue across the board.

“Allowing badgers, for example to die with tuberculosis makes no sense at all.

“So, it’s important that we come up with a comprehensive bTB eradication programme that meets all needs.

“And the sooner this is implemented the better.”

Animal disease

William Irvine has highlighted the growing challenge of animal disease to agriculture across the island of Ireland.

He added: “And this is deeply concerning against the backdrop of a farming sector that will be expected to increase its food production output significantly during the period ahead.”

Significantly, the UFU is working on the basis that Bluetongue is now a reality across the island of Ireland.

He continued: “We will have to see how the disease impacts on the 20206 spring lambing and calving seasons.

“But Bluetongue is not the only disease threat is impacting on Irish agriculture at the present time.

“Avian Flu continues to pose a major threat to our poultry sector.

“Meanwhile, France is already coping with Lumpy Skin disease.

“I looked recently at a map of Europe, which profiled disease outbreaks currently taking place across the continent.

“And a quick glance confirmed one salutary fact: diseases aplenty are now impacting within almost every region of the European Union.

“And, invariably, these significant animal health challenges will be heading our way: sooner rather than later.”

William Irvine views vaccination as a key defence against the threat of disease.

And Bluetongue is a case in point.

“We will learn a lot as to how the disease has progressed, or not, in Northern Ireland over the coming weeks,” he said.

“But it is concerning that midge activity was quite high late in to the autumn of last year.

“Bluetongue is spread by midges. They are the vectors of the disease.

“However, pregnant cows and ewes that have become infected can pass the disease on to the foetuses they are carrying.

“But vaccination is an option for individual cattle and sheep farmers, should they choose to go down that route.”

The confirmation of Bluetongue in Northern Ireland follows on from the arrival of Schmallenberg Disease a number of years ago.

It was a development that had significant knock-off effects for the sheep sector.

Acute clinical signs of the Schmallenberg virus are visible in adult cattle, however, adult sheep do not generally show signs of clinical disease.

The biggest problem with the virus is that it crosses the placenta and affects growing foetuses.

In early lambing flocks (January/February), there are high reported losses and malformations from the disease.

This is because infection occurs during the vulnerable gestation period (peak midge levels in August/September).

However, cases have also been reported in March-lambing flocks.

Schmallenberg-affected flocks have been severely impacted from a breeding and overall production perspective.