The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has elected its leadership team, with John McLenaghan announced as president.
The leadership team was elected following UFU’s annual general meeting, which took place at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise’s Loughry Campus in Northern Ireland.
John McLenaghan was voted in as president for two years. Glenn Cuddy was re-elected as deputy president for a second term, and he will be joined by newly elected deputy president Clement Lynch.
Guest speaker, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir, addressed the UFU Council before engaging in a Q&A. He confirmed bovine TB remains a top priority for him, described the NAP Stakeholder group as focused and constructive and touched on other agriculture issues such as climate change, the ongoing war in Iran and inheritance tax.
John McLenaghan, president of the UFU, commented: “Together we are stronger. We don’t all have to always agree on every single issue, but I believe we do agree on the importance of maintaining productive sustainable farming for this and the next generation. We must agree that we are only as strong as we are united, the more division there is the more weakness there is.
“The Office for Environmental Protection launched its report on the previous NAP programme which ran from 2019 to now and its effect on water quality. As expected, it includes some criticisms, but it also starts by acknowledging the ‘positive investment and efforts from farmers’.
“You are those farmers and that acknowledgement is something you should be proud of and which should encourage us all to continue to be better.
“We are privileged to be farmers, to provide for our fellow citizens. And that privilege comes with responsibility and it also comes with opportunity.
“There has never been a better time to be president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union and I look forward to working alongside you over the coming years.”
