Ulster Farmers' Union


The Ulster Farmers Union is a member organisation/industry association for farmers in Northern Ireland. The UFU was formed in 1918 and currently claims over 12,500 members.

Presidency

Previous Presidents of the UFU included Sir Basil Brooke, later the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, who served as UFU President between 1930 and 1931, as well as Rev. Robert Moore, Harry West and John Gilliland, who was a cross-community candidate in the 2004 European Parliament election. Harry Sinclair from Draperstown, County Londonderry, was President between 2012-14. The current President is Ian Marshall from Markethill, County Armagh.

Campaigns

The UFU has been involved in a number of campaigns for farmers' rights in Northern Ireland, including opposing moves to introduce compulsory purchases of farmland for industrial purposes, organising a protest over low produce prices and campaigning for an exemption for beef export bans during the Bovine spongiform encephalopathy crises.