Banks in Northern Ireland have been urged by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) to “provide leniency” to farmers who are under additional stress because of the wet weather.
The UFU said financial pressure is building for farm families because they are unable to “keep on top of their work” due to recent rainfall.
UFU president David Brown said: “The level of rainfall across Northern Ireland has made it impossible to move livestock, planting and sowing is way behind, and bills are mounting.
“March is seen as a turning point in the farming calendar, but currently, that is certainly not the case.
“The ground is saturated due to wet conditions that stretch back to the middle of last year”.
According to the UFU president, banks “have the power to apply leniency” to farmers who may be struggling to meet repayment schedules.
He has appealed to banks to “step up for farmers”.
Brown added: “We are urging everyone in the banking sector who interacts with farmers, to take this into account and to give whatever support they can.
“It is no secret that banks have made profits in recent years while farmers are doing their best to stay afloat.”
According to the UFU while it appreciates that weather conditions “cannot be controlled” it believes that fairness applied throughout the supply chain “can make a big difference for farm businesses”.
Brown said: “Many farmers operate as sole traders, therefore, it’s critical that every pound that’s in the marketplace makes its way back to farmers.
“This can help to ease the pressure on farmers when uncontrollable elements such as the weather, is going against them.”
He also warned that bovine tuberculosis (TB) levels are at “an all time high in Northern Ireland” and that many farmers are currently closed and unable to sell livestock which means they have extra animals to house and feed.
The UFU president added: “At this stage of the year, silage stocks will be low, and they will need to source and buy more. This puts extra pressure on cashflows and the daily running of the farm – farmers may need additional support.”
He also said that it is vital that farmers in Northern Ireland who may “feel overwhelmed and isolated” because of the additional pressures that they are facing due to the weather or on the financial front to reach out for support.
