The BBC has cancelled an upcoming meeting with farmers who are concerned about its decision to drop Farm Gate from its regular morning slot on Radio Ulster.
Farm Gate, which is seen as a familiar voice for Northern Irish farmers, is set to be axed in the new year.
Farm leaders had organised a meeting with the broadcaster, which was due to take place on 20 December, in an attempt to save the show.
However, according to the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), which was to attend the meeting, the BBC 'has yet again devalued' the farming community by cancelling it.
The timing of this discussion was seen as vital to urge the broadcaster to reconsider plans to cut Farm Gate from Radio Ulster in the new year.
It began 30 years ago as a stand-alone programme and was later moved into a regular slot on Good Morning Ulster and Evening Extra.
The latter was also dropped in recent years and the duration of the farming news has been reduced significantly over time.
Currently, Farm Gate's duration is approximately three to five minutes within 24 hours of broadcasting.
There is no other programme in NI that delivers information on agriculture ranging from policy to farmgate prices.
Responding to the cancelled meeting, UFU president David Brown slammed the BBC's inability to prioritise agriculture as "utterly disheartening and baffling".
"By the new year, Farm Gate will already be axed, and our public broadcaster will have knowingly cut off a key channel of communication isolating farming families.
"It gives the impression that this approach is being taken to minimise interference as those with decision making powers progress with removing this important output that caters to our rural communities."
Mr Brown added that the broadcaster's coverage of local farming issues had 'decreased drastically' in recent years.
"At the meeting we were also hoping to discuss how the public broadcaster would improve this and cover agriculture going forward," he said.
“The BBC need to decide very carefully what message they want to send to rural dwellers and farmers."
