Ulster Unionist Agriculture spokesperson Robbie Butler MLA has warned that while the prolonged spell of hot weather will be welcomed by many across Northern Ireland, it is adding to the mounting and relentless pressures facing local farmers and the wider agri-food sector.

The Lagan Valley MLA was speaking after recent industry figures pointed to heat stress in dairy herds driving a significant fall in milk deliveries, with dry conditions also slowing grass and forage growth.

Robbie Butler MLA said: 

"Like everyone else, I have enjoyed the sunshine, and I know this spell of good weather has been a real boost for families, tourism and hospitality right across Northern Ireland. But we must not lose sight of what it means for the people who produce our food.

“In recent days and weeks, I have been out and about speaking with a number of dairy farmers, and the message from every one of them was the same. The heat is hitting their herds, yields are down, grass growth is slowing, and costs keep climbing. They point to mounting and relentless pressures on an industry that was already stretched.

“One farmer I spoke with has only just come out the other side of a lengthy TB restriction on his herd. Having endured that ordeal, he is now straight into battling the effects of the heatwave. That is the reality for so many of our farm families. It is one pressure after another, with little respite in between.

“The harsh truth is that it is often the farmer who bears the brunt. When costs rise on the farm, those higher prices are rarely passed back down the chain to the farm gate, and margins that were already thin are squeezed even further. Consumers may well see prices rise at the checkout, but what they will not see is how little of that reaches the farmer who produced the food in the first place.

“Agri-food is the backbone of the Northern Ireland economy, and our farmers are world-class at adapting to whatever is thrown at them. But they cannot do it alone. I am calling on the Minister and DAERA to engage closely with the industry now and to stand ready with practical support if these conditions persist through the summer.

“We should all enjoy the sunshine, but we should also spare a thought for those working the fields across Northern Ireland, and recognise the pressures this weather is placing on the people who put food on our tables.”