Farmers in Northern Ireland need “greater clarity” on what supports are available to them at this time the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president warned today (Saturday, April 18).
William Irvine said farmers are under significant pressure and “what they need most is straightforward, honest communication about what support is actually available to them”.
The Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister for Northern Ireland, Andrew Muir, stressed this week that he does “not under-estimate” the challenges currently facing farmers in the North.
But the UFU president wants clearer messaging on whether there are new supports as a result of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East that farmers can access.
“There is a real risk that referencing existing schemes in the current context creates confusion, particularly when those schemes are already built into farm business planning and come with clear conditions attached.
“I’ve raised this directly with the minister and I have to say the response has not provided the clarity farmers are seeking.
“Instead, it has added to the uncertainty at a time when many are already trying to manage rising costs and difficult decisions on the farm.”
He said farmers urgently need “a clear recognition of the pressures they are facing and a focus on practical steps that will genuinely help ease those pressures”.
Irvine said in his book that means being upfront about “what is new, what is already committed, and where further action is needed”.
NI farmers
According to the UFU president there is now “growing frustration across the sector” about what supports are available.
“Farmers don’t expect quick fixes, but they do expect leadership and a clear sense of direction, particularly when cost pressures are escalating so rapidly,” he warned.
Irvine said the UFU intends to continue to engage directly with the Minister for Agriculture and wider government to press for solutions that make a tangible difference at farm-level.
“Our focus is on ensuring that the challenges facing our members are properly understood and that responses match the scale and urgency of the situation,” he added.