Ulster Unionist Agriculture spokesperson and AERA Committee Chair Robbie Butler MLA has welcomed the return of tomorrow's Balmoral Show, highlighting the vital contribution of Northern Ireland's agri-food sector while calling for greater recognition of the pressures it continues to face.

Robbie Butler MLA said:

“Tomorrow the Balmoral Show returns once again, and it is wonderful to see this absolutely brilliant event come back to showcase the very best of our agri-food sector.

“Northern Ireland accounts for only 3% of the UK population, yet our agri-food production accounts for 10% by value of total UK food production. With a combined economic value of circa £7.3 billion and around 109,000 full-time equivalent jobs, farming and agri-food is a high quality, valued and truly indigenous industry and one that is proudly and annually platformed here in Lagan Valley.

“As Ulster Unionist Agriculture spokesperson and Chair of the AERA Committee, I have spent much of the past year raising the very real and mounting challenges facing our farming and agri-food community. Rising fertiliser costs, rising fuel costs, and rising food costs have all combined to place enormous pressure on a sector that is already operating on tight margins and cannot afford to be taken for granted.

“This year's show also carries a particular weight, as it is the first Balmoral Show to take place since the changes to inheritance tax came into effect. Whilst the threshold was increased, it falls far short of what was needed to truly protect family farms and the generational legacy so many in this sector have worked tirelessly to build. The threat to the future of family farming has not gone away.

“The Ulster Unionist Party is immensely proud of our agri-food sector and everything it contributes to our economy, our rural communities, and our way of life. We will always champion the very best this sector has to offer. But we will also never shy away from the truth, this sector is under real pressure, and the Ulster Unionist Party will always ensure it receives the fair deal it deserves.”