An MP warned at a meeting in Fivemiletown that farming is “under threat” from Government policy.
DUP MP Carla Lockhart made the remarks at a Defend Our Farms meeting held earlier this week.
Hosted by farmer and Clogher Valley DUP Councillor Mark Robinson, the meeting covered key industry concerns including the Nutrient Action Programme (NAP), bovine TB, inheritance tax, and climate change.
Addressing the meeting, Carla Lockhart – who serves as the DUP’s Westminster Spokesperson for Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs – said: “We are all here tonight because we care about the future of farming in Northern Ireland.
“Farming has been a way of life for generations, but it has never felt so under threat.
“Not from the normal daily woes caused by weather or markets, but from government, be it in the House of Commons or Minister Muir in Stormont.
“Policies that punish are sadly the order of the day.”
She was joined on stage by former Ulster Farmers’ Union President, David Brown.
The MP argued that current Government policies risk “decimating” Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector, which contributes more than £2.87billion to the economy each year.
She said: “Instead of being supported, farmers are being over-regulated, under-consulted and heavily blamed for issues far beyond their control.
“Whether it’s climate change, water pollution, or food prices, the finger keeps pointing at farming.
“I want to point that finger right back at bad policy, political ideology, and at those in Stormont and Westminster who refuse to listen to the people who actually feed this country.”
She also described the 2026-2029 Nutrient Action Programme (NAP) as a “No Agriculture Plan”, warning that it would “devastate farms across Northern Ireland”.
Ms. Lockhart urged farmers to stand together and make their voices heard.
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