A lack of additional funding from the Northern Irish government will slow the industry's progression in combatting bovine TB, farm leaders say.
The comments follow the draft budget 2025-2026 consultation, which sets out proposed departmental allocations for the incoming financial year.
The NI Executive’s proposal to ring-fence the agricultural support budget for future years has been welcomed by the industry.
However, concern has been raised over the continued lack of funding to curb bovine TB levels in the province, which remain high.
Around one-in-ten herds in Northern Ireland are affected by the disease, which cost the public purse £55.7 million in 2023-2024.
Following the consultation, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is urging policymakers in Northern Ireland to "seriously consider the needs of local farming".
"We were disappointed that within the draft budget, no additional funding has been allocated for TB," says UFU president, William Irvine.
"TB continues to devastate farms and without a well-funded, science-led intervention strategy, meaningful progression in disease eradication will be severely limited.
"The failure to allocate separate funding for TB control, particularly to support wildlife intervention measures, is a missed opportunity.
"Farmers cannot bear this burden alone, government support is essential," he warns.
Additionally, the union strongly opposes the application of the Barnett formula to NI’s allocation of any future additional UK government agricultural funding.
NI has historically received around 9% of the UK’s total agricultural funding, a reflection of the sector’s high output and importance to the national food supply chain.
Under a population-based Barnett formula, this share would be drastically reduced to just 3%, something which the UFU slams as 'utterly inadequate'.
Mr Irvine concludes: "NI farmers produce enough food for 10m people, five times our population, and any reduction in funding would have severe consequences for our industry and rural communities.
"We urge DAERA and the NI Executive to challenge this approach and fight for a fair funding model."
