Northern Ireland's farming sector is at risk from government policies, warns the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU).

The meeting, held with Northern Ireland's leading food businesses and organisations, was called to address the threats facing farming from government policies.

The UFU focused discussions on long-term threats from changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and environmental regulatory issues such as ammonia restrictions, planning bottlenecks, phosphorus, bovine TB, and the need for a ringfenced agricultural budget.

William Irvine, UFU President, said: "Everyone was unanimous. The APR changes are outrageous and out of touch.

"This is a massive blow to our family farms, our rural heritage, and to the backbone of local food production.

"Our message to both local and national politicians is simple – you must understand the value and contribution of agriculture.

"We need your backing, not more barriers."

The UFU said that without new policies, farms will struggle to compete against imports, leaving local food production under threat.

Mr. Irvine added: "This doesn’t just affect farms, it hits our entire agri-economy, rural communities, and consumers who rely on high-quality, locally-produced food.

"We’re not just asking for change, we’re demanding it. Agriculture is too important to be ignored by politicians."