The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) remains committed to securing a sustainable future for agriculture in Northern Ireland.
“That’s what we were established to achieve and it will always be our core objective,” the organisation’s deputy president, John McLenaghan confirmed.
In the short-term, two main challenges confront the various farming sectors: the impact of the continuing wet weather and the potential fall-out for agriculture from the war in Iran.
Rainfall levels for the months of January and February 2026 have double those that would have normally been expected.
McLenaghan said: “Slurry that should have been spread in February remains in tanks.
“Meanwhile, the field work that should have taken place during the first half of March has not been carried out.”
The UFU deputy president also noted that the prospect of getting livestock out to grass “gets pushed back with every day that passes”.
“As a result, a tremendous backlog of work has built up on all farms.
“Obviously, farmers have no control of the weather.
“But if we work on the basis that climate change is a reality then agriculture must act to mitigate the pressures that are coming down the track.”
Climate proofing
And in this context, McLenaghan believes that investing in enhanced slurry storage capacity on farms becomes a priority that must be fully recognised by the Stormont executive.
He also pointed to the need for farmers to have much improved rainwater collection systems put in place.
“Rain falling on to the roofs of sheds must be effectively collected rather than being allowed to fall to ground and then ending up in slurry stores,” he said.
“But the commitment of farmers to all of these mitigating measures will come at a significant cost.”
The union’s deputy president recognises the pressure that has come on fertiliser and other input costs since the initiation of the Middle East conflict.
He confirms that the union has already broached this issue with the supply sectors.
Geopolitical proofing
However, the UFU representative believes that much can be done to insulate agriculture in Northern Ireland from geopolitical shocks into the future.
“Methane is the most important input requirement, where the manufacture of nitrogen fertiliser is concerned,” McLenaghan explained.
“Here in Northern Ireland we can produce large quantities of biomethane through the anaerobic digestion of animal slurries and other waste materials: so why not use this indigenous energy resource to make, at least, a proportion of the chemical nitrogen fertiliser that we need.
“Making much better use of the organic manures that we produce within agriculture is also a priority for the future.
“This includes the physical extraction of the phosphate and potash that are in these materials while timing the application of organic manures to ensure that they deliver optimal levels of plant growth.”
