Approximately 500 farmers from all sectors in the NI agriculture industry attended a protest organised by the UFU at Stormont today.

Addressing the crowd, UFU president Ian Marshall said that the reason for the demonstration was twofold – to show the European Commission that there is a crisis in agriculture that requires an effective response and also to highlight the importance of the Northern Ireland Executive for representing the farming industry.

Marshall said: “We need assistance with cashflow, a review of intervention, mechanisms to manage markets and a commitment for the future of agriculture.”

Minister for Agriculture Michelle O’Neill addressed the crowd and was critical of DEFRA in recent meetings in recognising the problems facing farming in NI but said that, ahead of the meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers on Monday, she would continue to make her voice heard.

She said: “We all have concerns over the fall in prices, the impact that is having across all the key sectors and how prices translate against the cost of production. We also have concern on the effect this having on business profitability and farm families.”

Listen to interviews with Michelle O'Neill and Ian Marshall in the podcast below

Chairman of the NI Assembly’s agriculture committee William Irwin said that fairness in the supply chain would go a long way to helping farmers in all sectors.

He said: “A vegetable grower contacted me and said that he receives 11p/kg for carrots but yet the same carrots are sold in the supermarket at 65p. This is unfair and cannot continue.”

Concluding the demonstration, Marshall handed Minister O’Neill a letter addressed to the First and Deputy First Ministers detailing concerns on behalf of the farming industry.

Farmers from various sectors were represented at the protest. Two factors farmers kept raising were the price they seemed to pay for political and economic decisions in Europe and elsewhere and also the role supermarkets have in the supply chain.

One protester said: “Primary producers need a better share of the end price for the product in all sectors. People are out here to stand together to let our voice be heard.”

Buses were laid on by the UFU from all group offices in NI for farmers to attend today’s protest. Representatives from the wider industry, other farmer organisations and political parties were also present.

The demonstration took place a day after a separate protest occurred outside the European Commission’s office in Belfast. Approximately 60 dairy farmers gathered as representatives from Fair Price Farming NI submitted a letter to the office addressed to European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan.

European farmer organisation Copa and Cogeca is organising a protest on Monday outside the meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Brussels. Organisers are expecting 5,000 farmers to take part. The UFU has said that a delegation of representatives will join the demonstration.