• UFU welcomes withdrawal of firearms licensing proposals

• Carbon audits must not become conditional for future farm support

• Rural crime crisis deepens in Northern Ireland as losses hit £2.2m

and much more.

• UFU responds to Climate Change Committee adaption report

• Government acts on UFU fuel pressure campaign

• UFU launch Farm Water Project training video

and much more.

• Concern grows over future of NI pig sector as farmers await clarity

• UFU warns NI beef sector facing ‘perfect storm’ as factory prices collapse

• UFU secures final signup opportunity for Soil Nutrient Health Scheme

and much more.

• UFU secures final signup opportunity for Soil Nutrient Health Scheme

• UFU join CAFRE to host beef conference and farm visit

• What is lobbying and why does it matter to farmers?

and much more.

• UFU writes to Prime Minister warning of impact of rising costs on food production

• Sustainability measures must work for farmers and reflect market demand

• Sheep attacks prompt UFU warning to livestock owners

and much more.

• UFU celebrates resilience in agriculture at NI Farm Family day

• UFU warns lamb welfare proposals must be practical and evidence-based

• Deadline for Open Farm Weekend schools’ competition closes next week

and much more.

• UFU warns global tensions could threaten food security and drive input costs higher

• UFU secures major changes to Agricultural Wages Order to support farmers and farm workers

• Why biosecurity remains important – an animal health update

and much more.

• UFU cautiously welcomes Bluetongue trade derogation and lifting of temporary control zone

• Donnelly takes up role as UFU Chief Executive

• UFU meets AFBI following recent footage

and much more.

• UFU strongly back reinstatement of ANC payment

• UFU rejects claims around Lough Neagh pollution

• UFU, Belfast Hills Partnership and PSNI unite against rural crime in the hills

and much more.

• UFU call for reform of the vesting system

• UFU renews call for responsible dog ownership as £152,000 worth of livestock killed or injured in NI dog attacks

• virtual farm tour returns

and much more.

• Farmers left in the dark on bluetongue as DAERA silence continues
• UFU highlights impact of sustained rainfall on safe slurry spreading
• UFU attend the Irish Farmers Journal 2025 Agricultural Land Price Report briefing

and a Mind your head week feature special.

• The Ulster Farmers’ Union has responded to DAERA progress on draft regulations to establish a Just Transition Commission

• UFU calls for clarity as DAERA outlines future Sustainable Agriculture Programme

• Hustings kick off this week in Co. Antrim for the next UFU Officeholder Team for 2026-28.

and more.

• Draconian planning policy hampering farm resilience as slurry season approaches
• UFU slams DAERA over lost year for Young Farmers in 2026
• UFU officeholder candidates- 2026 UFU hustings events
• And more

• UFU launch annual Open Farm Weekend schools' competition 
• Next Generation Committee Strengthen UK Links at Scottish Conference
• Commodity Watch: Northern Irish wool to be trialled as peatland tool in Antrim hills
• Reminder: Ensure slurry export forms are submitted
• And more

• UFU responds to Farming Profitability Review
• UFU calls for urgent assurances following Brazilian beef recall
• UFU encouraged by high-level engagement on inheritance tax
• Dairy farmers stay resilient amidst intense winter season
• UFU encourages all farmers to opt-in to Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme to ensure they are not missing out on payments
• And more.

• UFU warn consumers to ‘beware’ following recall of Brazilian beef
• Bluetongue information webinar
• Bluetongue temporary control zone reminder
• Processors must pay a fair lamb price as DAERA eases movement restrictions
• Budget offers no relief for farm families
• And more.

• IHT transferable threshold still not good enough
• UFU post budget webinar 
• UFU respond to non-domestic RHI closure consultation 
• UFU launch silage competition 
• UFU job vacancies 
• And more

• Ammonia planning blockages work against DAERA targets 
• NI farmers demand IHT changes at Westminster 
• UFU celebrate competitive post primary agri competition 
• NI Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme consultation closure 24 November 
• Sustainable Sector Growth Groups Pilot Scheme deadline 1 December 
• And more

• UFU take members to Westminster in final efforts to overturn IHT changes
• Dairy farmers feeling the pinch this winter
• GPS equipment being targeted by thieves, says UFU

And more...

• Poultry housing orders in effect from today, says UFU
• UFU air farmer frustrations to AERA chair and vice-chair
• Protect your farm from activists
• And more.

• UFU Executive vote no confidence in DAERA
• UFU calls on MLA's to revisit climate change act
• Government still not grasping severity of inheritance tax proposals, says UFU

• UFU alert poultry keepers to AI prevention zone

And more.

• UFU calls on UK Government and EU Commission to prevent veterinary medicine supply disruption
• UFU attend launch of first ever wildfire strategy in NI
• Charting a resilient future for NI beef and lamb: Insights from Anuga 2025
• The global challange
• And more.

• Donnelly appointed new UFU CEO 
• UFU respond to NAP group announcement
• UFU urge members to respond to Lords' family farm tax inquiry 
• RHI consultation to close the scheme launched
• WIA conference a sell out success
• And more. 

• UFU call out misinformation being shared on NAP group 
• UFU issues cautious response to peatland strategy launch 
• UFU cautiously welcomes RHI announcement
• UFU to attend climate conference lead by Pop Leo XIV 
• Meeting summary 
• And more. 

Events update  

And more.

At present, Bronagh is on maternity leave, but life is as busy as ever for the mother of three, farmer’s wife, farmer, and UFU Next Generation Forum member.

In this chat, Bronagh discusses her up bringing on a hill farm on the Coleraine mountain to dairy farming in Rasharkin, the pressures local farmers are facing and farming in Australia.

Featuring in this episode of the Ulster Farmers’ Union podcast, Alistair and Genna shed light on what it’s like to be farming in New Zealand right now, their farming systems, and the government’s decision to treat methane differently going forward.

You can keep up to date with Alistair and Genna via their YouTube channel Kiwi Farmer, Instagram @kiwifarmernz and The Grange NZ on Facebook.

In May of this year, Irish woman Sophie Healy-Thow was awarded the prestigious Global Citizen Prize, at an award ceremony in New York for her work in food and nutrition. She was one of six who were recognised at the event.

Sophie is a Global Youth Campaigns Coordinator for Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, and is a founder of Act4Food, a global youth led campaign aiming to transform food systems.

In this chat with UFU communications officer Tracey Donaghey, Sophie discusses the importance of farmers as sustainable food producers, the different forms of food security and why engaging with young people matters.    

To conclude the podcast, UFU policy, technical and communications manager James McCluggage gives an update on issues that the UFU are currently working on. 

Image caption: Sophie Healy-Thow received her Global Citizen Prize at an award ceremony in New York. (L-R) Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, Sophie Healy-Thow and C.D Glin. Photo, David Andrako for Global Citizen @DavidAndrako.

Helen Rebanks lives with her husband James (farmer and author) and four children on their family farm in the Lake District. They have a flock of 500 sheep, 50 cattle, 20 chickens, six sheepdogs and two ponies.

In this bonus episode of the UFU podcast Farming24/7, Helen chats about her new book The Farmer’s Wife. It’s a role that resonates worldwide and is arguably iconic, but instead of being celebrated and characterised with dignity, it has been continually deprecated by society – until now.

Taking the narrative into her own hands, Helen is extremely honest and open, in writing and in person, about her journey to date. Speaking with UFU communications officer Tracey Donaghey, she discusses many subjects including: 

• Relationship dynamics
• Raising children to value domestic work
• The importance of quality, sustainable food and home cooking
• Farming with nature
• Consumer and government support for agriculture

Claire Taylor, an agricultural communicator and 2023 Nuffield Farming Scholar, features in the final episode of the Ulster Farmers’ Union podcast for this third series. Speaking to communications officer Tracey Donaghey, the Scottish native talks in depth about engaging with the public, their relationship with farmers, food production at home and abroad, and her agricultural travels.

To conclude this episode, policy, technical and communications manager James McCluggage, gives an update on the policy issues he has been working on.

• Robert Davis (pictured with wife Linda), Laurelview Equestrian Centre and Farm
• Jacqui Magennis, Magennis Farm

In March of this year, bovine TB herd incidence in Northern Ireland reached a record high. Armagh farmer Sean O’Hanlon knows all too well about the devastation TB causes. A truth that cannot be articulated by figures or statistics. In 2018, he lost his dairy herd to TB despite taking all measures within his control to protect his livestock.

In this episode of the UFU podcast, Farming24/7, Sean recalls that difficult period of his life which hit his family hard and changed the future of the family farm.

To conclude, policy officer David McClure gives an update on the current situation of TB in Northern Ireland.

Farmer and physio Elaine Houlihan became the 39th president of Macra Na Feirme in April of this year. Kicking off the third series of the UFU’s podcast Farming 24/7, Elaine spoke about keeping pressure on politicians, cattle culling, part time farmers and being anything but, a token woman.

To conclude UFU parliamentary officer Alexander Kinnear, provides an update on the policy issues he is working on including TB and Brexit related issues.

Complex issues female farmers face with hill farmer Kellie Rouse, Co Tyrone and dairy farmer Margaret Little, Co Fermanagh.

From access to land, encouragement of agri careers in school to childcare and the UFU presidency, Kellie and Margaret share their experiences of the farming industry to date, barriers that have been broken and the challenges that still lie ahead.

To conclude UFU president David Brown talks about the AERA Committee Women in Agriculture survey and the Union’s promotion of women in the industry.

The podcast is available on Spotify, to listen, simply click the link in the comments section.

Or are you a farmer looking to lighten the workload or step back?

In this third episode of the UFU’s podcast, John McCallister, programme manager of the Land Mobility Scheme, discusses how the initiative came about to create generational renewal in agriculture. It also supports older farmers to step back at their own pace helping with succession planning, while also availing of their immense knowledge.

John explains, “I don’t want anyone listening to this thinking that ‘we wouldn’t fit into that’ because it has to be specifically one thing or another… there is something to suit everybody, there is no one size fits all, this is as open and flexible as the parties want it to be…”

A wide range of arrangements have been done between farmers since the scheme was first launched over five years ago across all commodities. Listen to find out more and John’s contact details are available if you would like to speak to him about Land Mobility without charge.

To conclude: Policy, technical and communications manager James McCluggage provides details on the UFU’s Next Generation Forum.

Dairy farmer Peter Hynes from Co. Cork, speaks to UFU communications officer Tracey Donaghey about…

• His personal experience with mental health
• Opening up the conversation about suicide
• Ag Mental Health Week (2022 dates to be confirmed)
• The mental impact of the media demonising farmers
• Equipping the younger generation with skills to help manage their wellbeing

To conclude, UFU policy officer Sarah Morrell provides information on local charity Rural Support.

Featuring: Abi Reader, NFU Cymru deputy president.

In this first episode of the second series, UFU communications officer Tracey Donaghey, chats with Abi about…

• Rebuilding the connection between farmers and consumers
• Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend and its much-needed presence going forward
• Farming and food education in school
• How a lack of farming knowledge impacted climate change coverage/debate
• Trade deals
• How education and awareness is critical to the development of the UK’s agri food industry

To conclude:

Lynsay Hawkes, UFU communications assistant, brings the podcast to a close with an update on the recent Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend event.

In this second episode of the UFU podcast Farming 24/7, Armagh beef farmer Ruth Parkes, discusses setting up her own herd, farming during the pandemic, mental health and women supporting one another within the agri-food industry.

Plus UFU policy officer David McClure, gives an update on the TB consultation.

Plus, UFU deputy president David Brown, gives an update on the climate change bills and COP26.