The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) dairy committee says the supply chain needs to be realigned after feed and fertiliser importers recently revealed major profits over the past year. Meanwhile, farm families are continuing to get by on the smallest of margins.
UFU deputy president William Irvine said, “Having seen the recent publication of accounts outlining the profits made by feed and fertiliser importers, it’s extremely hard to swallow. With the current cost of living crisis coupled with rising input costs on farm, farmers have been grappling with the financial pressure. Some inputs like diesel and fertiliser have eased back but are still massively inflated compared to what they were. It’s totally demoralising to realise that big agri companies have been reaping the profits while the primary producer has been left with the crumbs.
“There’s no doubt that due to the huge profits feed and fertiliser importers have made, they can afford to reduce the price farmers pay for their products. Farmers provide the foundation on which every farming business is built upon and companies have taken their longstanding loyalty for granted. I urge farmers to put their farm business and own priorities first and shop around when buying inputs. Suppliers need to seriously consider that if there is no movement in these high input costs, there will be less production on farms and that will have implications throughout the supply chain for all players.”
