She said: “Reflecting on 2025, it has definitely been a year of unprecedented challenges for farming in Northern Ireland. It hasn’t all been negative, and although prices have started to decline, farmers welcomed strong farm-gate prices for commodities such as milk, beef and livestock.

“The farming community has been the target of relentless and sustained pressure from government regulatory overreach and ill-fitting, flawed policies.

“Bureaucracy surrounding the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP), the pursuit of unrealistic Net Zero and Climate Change targets, uncertainty over inheritance tax, delays and obstacles in the planning system, and rising wages and national insurance, have all combined to undermine farm businesses and succession planning.”

The Upper Bann MP added: “Instead of supporting food producers and bolstering food security, Stormont and Westminster policies have added cost, confusion and frustration. Farmers are known to be resilient, but many aren’t ashamed to admit they have been driven to the depths of despair in recent months.

“As bovine TB continues to rage across the province, draining the public purse of more than £60m per annum, farmers have also had to endure a number of new disease incursions and biosecurity threats. Bluetongue, avian influenza and the growing threat posed by the invasive Asian hornet have placed further strain on farmers already operating under immense pressure.

“Throughout the UK, illegally smuggled meat is posing a significant threat to the agri-food sector. Unscrupulous traders are slipping through DEFRA’s under-funded port security network, leaving industry stakeholders concerned about diseases such as Foot and Mouth and African Swine Flu.

“At the same time, international trade deals continue to undercut and threaten local markets, while concerns remain over lower-standard imports such as chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-laced beef.

“On a more positive note, thanks to strong opposition led by European farmers, the Mercosur deal has been stalled, and will hopefully be shelved indefinitely in the coming weeks,” she said.

Farmers are deeply uneasy about an emerging anti-farming narrative that seeks to reduce livestock numbers, and prioritises lab-grown alternatives over sustainable, home-produced food which has been produced to the highest animal-welfare standards and is fully traceable farm to fork.

“Agriculture is a significant employer and the backbone of our economy. Our local agri-food sector is something to be proud of, producing food to feed 10 million people and contributing in excess of £6 billion to the economy,” explained Ms Lockhart.

“Farmers in Northern Ireland are not asking for special treatment – they want fairness, common sense and recognition for the vital role they play in food security, the rural economy and environmental stewardship.

As we move forward in the New Year, it is essential that government, both locally and nationally, works with, not against, our farming community to ensure a viable and vibrant future for agriculture in Northern Ireland.

“Food security is national security, but across the UK we are only 60% sufficient. The government must step-up and show its genuine support and appreciation for the people who feed our nation.

Carla Lockhart has vowed to continue fighting and speaking up for farmers. “We’ve recently welcomed the Labour party’s move on inheritance tax. This didn’t just happen, it is the result of united and prolonged lobbying, tractor protests which portrayed the strength of feeling amongst farmers, and persistent pressure from industry stakeholders.

“Raising the threshold to £2.5m per person waters down the impact and is a welcome relief for many. Unfortunately, it fails to reflect inflation and safeguard those with larger farm businesses, but we will continue to fight the government to climb-down on the proposed changes to APR and BPR.”

The MP has also confirmed that the battle against the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) and bovine TB will continue in 2026. “NAP is a legal obligation, but as time progresses, more and more evidence has come to light, shifting the spotlight away from farming.

“Farmers have been used as scapegoats for too long, but the tide is turning, increasing the focus on Stormont’s fiscal responsibilities for investment in NI’s water and sewage infrastructure; and accountability for industrial and domestic pollution.



“Will 2026 finally be the year that DAERA takes control of TB? We need a new approach to tackling TB, and I am aware of ongoing research and new tests that could potentially bring this problem under control.

“Minister Muir must adopt a new approach and use all the tools available. Launching a further consultation in the spring, is a delaying tactic; he can’t continue to side-step the thorny issue of a badger cull. The evidence is clear, badgers are a reservoir for TB and a cull of infected wildlife is overdue.

“Conservationists have also spoken out in favour of reducing the badger population, a practice carried out in European jurisdictions, to protect vulnerable wildlife such as endangered hedgehogs and ground nesting birds.”

Concluding, Carla Lockhart MP said: “I am proud to be an advocate for NI farming. We have a few hills still to climb, and are about to embark on unchartered territory as the veterinary medicines grace period ends. I will continue to work along party colleagues, confronting policymakers and fighting for a better future for the industry in Northern Ireland.