Swann brings Ulster farmers’ concerns to Westminster amid tax uncertainty

South Antrim MP Robin Swann, Ms Antoniazzi, and UFU President William Irvine

Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann has hosted a high-level meeting in Westminster with representatives from the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and the Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, Tonia Antoniazzi MP, to discuss the major challenges facing the farming sector.

The meeting followed a presentation by the UFU to the Committee earlier the same day, with discussions focusing on the pressures confronting local agriculture, including uncertainty surrounding potential changes to the Family Farm Inheritance Tax — reforms which Mr Swann said he had “cautiously welcomed” last week.

Highlighting the ongoing strain on the farming community, Mr Swann said:

“This is an incredibly difficult and complex time for our farmers, with such a significant level of flux. Right now, what our farmers need is certainty and clarity.

Without these, there is a real risk to our food security, and therefore to national security.

“Our farmers must remain resilient, and decision-makers in both Westminster and Stormont must work to bring stability and sustainability to family farms and our agri-food sector.”

The Ulster Unionist MP, who represents North Antrim and has been a long-time advocate for the agri-food industry, said the meeting was an important opportunity to ensure Northern Ireland’s farming interests are heard at Westminster.

The UFU has been vocal in recent months about the impact of policy uncertainty, rising input costs, and environmental regulation on small and family-run farms across Northern Ireland.

The organisation’s engagement with the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is seen as part of a broader effort to ensure fair and sustainable support for the sector post-Brexit.

Agriculture remains one of Northern Ireland’s largest and most important industries, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and forming the backbone of the region’s rural economy.

With farmers facing mounting financial pressures, policymakers are being urged to provide clear direction and long-term certainty to safeguard the sector’s future.