DEAR EDITOR

At a recent DAERA NAP presentation, I stood among a large and angry crowd of farmers who openly voiced their outrage at the new NAP consultation, its process, its rushed timescale, and its tone-deaf delivery.

The event laid bare the lack of co-operation, the shaky science, and what many saw as a complete disregard for agriculture.

With strong backing from both industry leaders and political representatives, farmers made their position clear.

This was no ordinary meeting, it was a public shaming that exposed the deep and growing divide between Northern Ireland’s farming community and its government.

For DAERA, serious questions must be asked. How was this communication disaster allowed to unfold?

Why did no one think to engage with farmers first, the very people this policy would impact most?

Was this simply naivety on Minister Muir’s part? Was it poor judgment? Or, most damning of all, does it reveal that he simply doesn’t care about farming?

Given the nuclear proposals in the consultation, many now fear the latter is true.

Whatever the cause, the damage done by Minister Muir’s actions is far greater than any molecules of phosphorus ever could.

Uncertain future

Trust has been shattered. Credibility lost. And the path to rebuilding the relationship between DAERA and the farming community looks long and uncertain.

A generation ago, government and farmers worked side by side. Older generations remember a time when government supported, not attacked, when it led, not pushed.

Government shaped agriculture through education, innovation, and meaningful support. As a result, production improved, efficiency increased, and profitability grew. AFBI led from the front, and others followed.

Today, DAERA feels like the Department Not for Agriculture, and as a result, battle lines have been drawn. Education and support are relics of the past. Leadership has vanished. And no one is following.

True agricultural sustainability must be the shared goal. Any environmental strategy must stand shoulder to shoulder with equally strong economic and social pillars.

Northern Ireland’s family farms deserve nothing less.

DAERA needs reform, and fast. A new direction. A renewed focus. One where agriculture receives equal billing and is not treated as a problem to be managed, but a vital industry to be championed.

AFBI must also find its voice again, becoming more accessible, more engaged, and more relevant, driving our industry.

New faces will be needed to win back farmers’ trust, then, to borrow a phrase, “together we can make agriculture great again”.