Barclay Bell, the Ulster Farmers Union President, has issued his New Year message to the farming community.
He said: “The start of a new year is always a mix of hope and trepidation. Farmers certainly hope it will be a better year financially, with a weaker sterling maintaining better commodity prices. Above all, farming families will hope for good health and the chance for 2017 to be a year when an industry we are so passionate about, regardless of enterprise, brings us more pleasure and a lot less financial pain. Whatever the year delivers, the UFU will stand by farmers as it has for almost 100 years..
“By any standards 2016 was a difficult year across all sectors, with poor prices hitting farm businesses hard. This time last year few would have predicted the outcome of the EU Referendum.
“Going forward, we as a Union have a tough job on our hands. We need to ensure farmers’ interests are protected in the negotiations, and that the industry is central to the development of a post-Brexit UK and local farming policy.
“Our industry also needs to develop new ways to deal with price volatility. This is not just the farmer’s responsibility. There is an onus on processors and retailers to recognise how fundamental the primary producer is to their businesses.
“All farmers want is a price that reflects what it costs to produce high quality food. Volatility has always been a frustration, and with EU support only guaranteed until 2020, we face a huge challenge to ensure a sustainable price for those who produce food.
A UK Agricultural Bill in 2018 may well be the road-map for our industry for the next twenty years. It is important that the younger generation of farmers feed into the debate. Whatever the outcome, we will all need to embrace the changes that come our way, and see them as an opportunity to create a new farming policy for the UK.
“People sometimes ask if there will be a next generation of farmers, but I am convinced if they are part of the debate about or future we can all look forward to a reinvigorated, vibrant UK farming industry.”
Mr Bell added: “The UFU will respond to these challenges in 2017 and beyond. We have coped with change for a long time, and in 2018 we will celebrate our centenary as the voice of farmers in Northern Ireland. For 2017, we will hit the ground running. We will continue to represent every sector of farming and the decisions we make will be for the good of the entire industry.
“We need to be sure our politicians and the public fully understand the importance of food and farming to the local economy. To deliver that outcome, farmers and the wider industry must speak with a single voice, and not with the voice of self-interest for particular enterprises or sectors.
“Finally, I would like to remind the farming community of the importance of keeping farm safety top of the agenda each day. One death on farm is one too many, so please take a minute before starting even jobs we all do every day and ask yourself a simple question – Can I do this job in a safer way?
“To all the farming families we in the UFU are proud to represent, thank you for your support. I hope 2017 is a successful and productive year, and please don’t forget to stay FARM SAFE, because if we don’t all the other challenges we face pale into insignificance.”
