A motion calling for greater female representation in Northern Ireland’s agriculture sector has received support from across the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Sinn Féin MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Áine Murphy brought forward the motion, which highlighted the challenges faced by women in the agriculture sector.
She said: “Despite their invaluable contribution, women remain underrepresented in farm ownership, decision-making positions and leadership roles in the agri-food industry.
“Women face structural and cultural barriers that limit their full participation in agriculture.
“Daughters are often overlooked as potential inheritors of family farms, and without land ownership, women struggle to access the financial resources that are necessary to initiate, innovate, expand or even sustain their agriculture activities.”
Murphy told the assembly about her own farming background, and highlighted statistics from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) from 2022, which state that only 5% of registered principal farmers are women.
Murphy’s motion received support from members of the Alliance Party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).
The deputy leader of the DUP, Michelle McIlveen said that “women are often the glue that keeps the family business together”.
“Traditionally, agriculture is seen as a male-dominated industry, but women have always been at the heart of our rural communities, farming families and businesses.
“I am always delighted when I speak to farmers to hear them talk about their daughters. It really does my heart good when I hear that.
“However, structural and historical barriers exist, and we heard about them today. Those barriers include inheritance practices, limited access to finance and land, reduced training opportunities and exclusion from decision-making processes,” she added.
Women in agriculture
The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir also supported the amendment.
Minister Muir said that his department has been “playing its part” in looking at the barriers that exist for women in agriculture.
He said: “I am both proud and delighted that enrolment on to CAFRE’s [College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise] agriculture courses continues to attract a high number of females, and I am determined to do all that we can to support women at all levels as they progress through their education programmes.
“I recognise that some of those women will face barriers as they aspire to take over their family farm or start a new farm business.
“We are exploring that in the delivery of the Farming for the Generations pilot scheme,” Muir added.
