UFU Headquarters, Belfast.

How do we ensure that we accurately represent farmers views? 

UFU grass roots members discuss policy issues at their local Group and County meetings.  These are then examined in detail at the Unions Central Committees, before policies are ratified at the UFU's monthly Executive Committee meeting.  

The UFU currently operates the following ‘Central Policy Committees’:

• Animal Health
• Beef and Lamb
• Environment
• Fish
• Fruit
• Hill Farming
• Legislation
• Milk
• Mushroom
• Pig
• Potato
• Poultry
• Rural Affairs
• Rural Development
• Rural Enterprise
• Seeds and Cereals
• Vegetables

 Some recent results:

• Closed period slurry spreading flexibility
• Government commitment to establish a Supermarket Adjudicator
• No costly and bureaucratic Independent Environmental Protection Agency
• A highly successful Cut It Out anti-red tape campaign, leading to the introduction of an independent review of bureaucracy  
• NI Programme Government commitments to support the NI agri-food industry including developing a strategic plan for the industry
• Growth in membership in 2010 and 2011
• Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) to include fresh pork, poultry and sheep meat
• Secured an estimated addition £16million for LFA farmers since identifying the potential to increase LFA payments as a result of the rising value of the EURO against Sterling
• Over £15million invested into the farming sector via the Farm Modernisation Programme

Today's major issues:

• CAP reform post 2013
• Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS)/mapping
• EU Budget
• Raising farm gate prices to offset soaring feed, fuel and fertiliser costs
• Cutting red tape
• More public procurement of local produce
• Better share of retail prices
• Rural crime
• Health and safety
• Eradication of TB and BVD