UFU president William Irvine on his County Armagh farm. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has today set out five actions it is calling on the UK Government to deliver in response to the escalating cost pressures facing farm businesses.
With fuel, fertiliser and energy prices rising sharply as a result of global instability, the UFU has warned that farm businesses are now under sustained and unsustainable pressure, with real risks to domestic food production if action is not taken.
The Union’s five key asks are:
- A further temporary reduction in fuel duty, including retention of the existing cut beyond September 2026 and a pause to its phased reintroduction
- A one-off, time-limited fertiliser support scheme for the 2026 season
- The extension or reintroduction of targeted energy cost relief schemes for agricultural businesses
- The establishment of a UK-wide market monitoring and transparency framework for fuel and fertiliser pricing
- The designation of agriculture as a priority sector in any fuel supply disruption or allocation framework
UFU President William Irvine said: “The pressures facing farm businesses are immediate, significant and largely outside of our control. Rising input costs are already influencing production decisions on farms across Northern Ireland, and without intervention, there is a clear risk of reduced output in the next production cycle.
He continued, “We have set out five practical, targeted and time-limited measures that government can implement now to stabilise the situation and give farmers the confidence to continue producing.
“We have been engaging intensively with Cabinet Ministers, MPs from all parties, members of the House of Lords and industry stakeholders in Westminster, and we will be back again next week continuing to press this case. We are pushing hard to ensure there is a full understanding at the highest levels of government of the scale and urgency of this issue.
Mr Irvine stressed, “The Prime Minister must act now. With limited parliamentary time remaining before prorogation, there is a clear opportunity to deliver meaningful support. Further delay will have real consequences for production, food prices and food security.
“Other European countries have already moved to support their agricultural sectors. In contrast, there has been no agriculture-specific response from the UK Government, and that risks placing our producers at a competitive disadvantage.
“These asks are about maintaining production in the short term and protecting the long-term resilience of our agri-food sector.”
The UFU said the measures are designed to provide immediate relief while ensuring the sector can continue to operate effectively during a period of exceptional volatility.
The Union added that it remains committed to working with government and industry stakeholders to deliver practical solutions that support farm businesses and safeguard food production, but now is the time to ask.
Members can read the policy paper here
