UFU Deputy President William Irvine on his County Armagh farm. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
The Ulster Farmers’ Union says the Northern Ireland Executive’s proposal to ring-fence the agricultural budget is a major win, however, having no additional funding for TB will slow the industry’s progression. The comments were made following the UFU’s response to the draft budget 2025/2026 consultation, which sets out proposed departmental allocations for the incoming financial year. The UFU is urging policymakers to seriously consider the needs of local farming.
UFU president William Irvine said, “We welcome the NI Executive’s proposal to ring-fence the agricultural support budget for future years. It reflects their understanding of how important farming is to our economy, environment, and food security, and will help to rebuild confidence within the farming community following the Autumn budget blow. However, while this decision is a positive step, it is crucial that the budget is protected indefinitely and linked to inflation to ensure its real-term value does not decline.
“We were disappointed that within the draft budget, no additional funding has been allocated for TB. TB continues to devastate farm businesses and without a well-funded, science-led intervention strategy, meaningful progression in disease eradication will be severely limited. The failure to allocate separate funding for TB control, particularly to support wildlife intervention measures, is a missed opportunity. Farmers cannot bear this burden alone, government support is essential.”
Additionally, the UFU strongly opposes the application of the Barnett formula to NI’s allocation of any future additional UK government agricultural funding.
NI has historically received around 9% of the UK’s total agricultural funding, a reflection of our sector’s high output and importance to the national food supply chain. Under a population-based Barnett formula, this share would be drastically reduced to just 3%, which is utterly inadequate. NI farmers produce enough food for 10 million people, five times our population, and any reduction in funding would have severe consequences for our industry and rural communities. We urge DAERA and the NI Executive to challenge this approach and fight for a fair funding model.
“Overall, whilst the draft budget is a step in the right direction with the ring-fencing of agricultural support, the major gaps in funding for TB control must be relooked at. The Executive needs to take a long-term, strategic approach to agricultural funding to ensure farm businesses remain competitive and sustainable, and are able to provide high-quality food while meeting environmental targets,’ said Mr Irvine.
