UFU Deputy President John McLenaghan, on his farm near Garvagh. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has highlighted the severe challenges facing farmers following 28 consecutive days of rainfall, which has left ground conditions unsuitable for the safe spreading of slurry across many parts of Northern Ireland.
The prolonged wet weather has significantly reduced opportunities for farmers to manage nutrients, increasing pressure on slurry storage capacity and creating difficult conditions for farms that strive to remain compliant with environmental regulations.
The UFU is calling on DAERA to recognise the realities farmers are facing and provide appropriate flexibility. Farmers are resilient but resilience isn’t unlimited. The UFU emphasised that farmers want to be part of the solution and are willing to invest and modernise their infrastructure to improve long-term resilience, however, they are unable to do so due to draconian planning rules.
Commenting on the situation, UFU Deputy President John McLenaghan said, “We recognise the strain many farmers are under at present. If storage capacity is becoming a welfare concern or issues are emerging, farmers should contact their UFU Technical Officer for advice and guidance and where ground conditions allow, and only where it can be done safely, farmers should use their judgement to identify suitable fields for slurry spreading. We have raised this issue directly with the Minister.”
He added, “These are difficult days, but we are approaching longer daylight hours, improving soil temperatures and, hopefully, drier weather. Farmers are resilient and committed to doing the right thing and with practical support, they will be able to manage through this period.”
The UFU reaffirmed its commitment to working constructively with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to ensure regulations remain fair, practical and capable of being implemented safely, while supporting both environmental protection and sustainable food production.
