What Ulster Farmers' Union does

Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) is a membership-based agricultural trade union founded in 1918 that represents farmers and growers across Northern Ireland. Headquartered in Belfast/Antrim, the organization serves as the primary collective voice for the region's farming community, engaging directly with government departments (DAERA, Defra), ministers, major retailers (Tesco), processors (Sofina Foods), and industry bodies to influence agricultural policy, supply chain fairness, environmental schemes, and farm support programmes.

UFU's core services center on policy advocacy and member representation rather than technology products. It engages in co-design of major policy initiatives such as DAERA's Tree Planting Action Plan and the Lough Neagh Catchment Area Water Quality programme, and campaigns on issues including mandatory country-of-origin labelling for beef, dairy milk pricing, peatland restoration funding, poultry housing orders, and inheritance tax thresholds affecting family farms. The union also delivers health awareness campaigns, agricultural education outreach (including Open Farm Weekend engaging 1,500+ pupils from 48 schools), and convenes meetings with educational and industry stakeholders. Through its founding role in Sustainable Ruminant Genetics (SRG), UFU participates in delivering a £50 million DAERA-funded Bovine Genetics Project that provides genomic data to suckler and dairy farmers.

The organization operates as a non-profit on a recurring subscription revenue model funded through farmer membership dues, with no publicly disclosed financials. It segments its constituency geographically and by enterprise type - covering beef, dairy, pig, peatland-managing, and general farmers - and routes communications through agricultural media, direct member notifications, and ministerial engagement. Leadership consists of elected positions including president (William Irvine, John McLenaghan) and deputy president, reflecting its member-driven governance.

Name

Ulster Farmers' Union

Legal name

Ulster Farmers' Union

Website

https://ufuni.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ulster Farmers' Union is a membership-based agricultural trade union founded in 1918 that represents Northern Ireland farmers through policy advocacy, supply chain negotiations, and engagement with government bodies including DAERA and Defra.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Antrim

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: UFU operates as a professional trade union funded through membership subscriptions from farmers in Northern Ireland. The union uses these funds to advocate for agricultural policy, provide member services, and engage with government stakeholders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Ulster Farmers' Union is a membership-based agricultural trade union representing farmers in Northern Ireland. Its core offering is collective policy advocacy, regulatory representation, and member support services for farming businesses, including engagement with government departments (DAERA), retailers, and processors, plus educational events and health awareness initiatives for farmer members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UFU Membership Subscription-based membership of the Ulster Farmers' Union for farmers in Northern Ireland, providing access to advocacy, representation, regulatory guidance, and member communications on agricultural policy and farm support programmes.
• Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend Annual educational outreach event hosted with Bank of Ireland sponsorship connecting schools and the public with working farms to raise awareness of agriculture and food production. More than 1,500 pupils from 48 schools participated in the schools' day programme.
• Sustainable Ruminant Genetics (SRG) - Bovine Genetics Project Joint not-for-profit initiative delivering the £50 million DAERA-funded Bovine Genetics Project, providing genomic data services to suckler and dairy farmers in Northern Ireland to improve strategic herd breeding decisions.
• Farmer Health Awareness Campaign Health awareness initiative for farmer members encouraging recognition of warning signs (including prostate cancer) and early medical consultation, developed in collaboration with GPs and the farming community.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,500 pupils from 48 schools participated in Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend schools' day, demonstrating UFU's reach in agricultural education.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Woodland TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026UFU participated in the co-design of DAERA's Tree Planting Action Plan alongside Woodland Trust, Scottish Woodlands, Confor, and Balcas, contributing farmer perspective on woodland expansion.
• Scottish WoodlandsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026UFU participated in the co-design of DAERA's Tree Planting Action Plan alongside Woodland Trust, Scottish Woodlands, Confor, and Balcas.
• ConforminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026UFU participated in the co-design of DAERA's Tree Planting Action Plan alongside Woodland Trust, Scottish Woodlands, Confor, and Balcas.
• BalcasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026UFU participated in the co-design of DAERA's Tree Planting Action Plan alongside Woodland Trust, Scottish Woodlands, Confor, and Balcas.
• TescocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026UFU met with Tesco representatives to raise concerns on behalf of Northern Ireland pig producers affected by Sofina Foods' decision not to renew supply contracts. Tesco reaffirmed its commitment to Northern Ireland produce and local sourcing.
• DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026DAERA is providing £13.2 million as part of the €56.7 million Lough Neagh Catchment Area Water Quality programme (2027-2031), alongside €33 million from the Shared Island Initiative and €10.5 million from the Irish government.
• Minister of State Stephen MorgancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026UFU wrote to Minister of State Stephen Morgan calling for urgent action on beef imports and mandatory country-of-origin labelling, seeking an urgent meeting with the minister and Defra officials.
• DefracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026UFU is seeking an urgent meeting with Defra officials to ensure the specific circumstances facing Northern Ireland beef producers are fully recognised in policy discussions.
• Dr. Rebecca Orr (GP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Dr. Rebecca Orr collaborated with UFU on a 2024 farmers' health study and emphasized that early medical consultation can benefit both health and farm business outcomes.
• KPMGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026UFU president John McLenaghan spoke at a KPMG Food & Agribusiness Breakfast alongside BBC Countryfile's Adam Henson, highlighting Northern Ireland's strong agri-food brand and export potential.
• Education Minister Paul GivancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026UFU met with Education Minister Paul Givan at Bessvale Farm in Co. Antrim to advocate for expanding GCSE Agriculture across Northern Ireland schools and discuss broader agri-education priorities.
• Sustainable Ruminant Genetics (SRG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026SRG is a not-for-profit partnership established in 2022 between UFU, Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, Livestock and Meat Commission, and the Northern Ireland Meat Exporters' Association. SRG is delivering the £50 million Bovine Genetics Project (BGP) funded by DAERA, which will provide genomic data to suckler and dairy farmers to improve strategic herd breeding decisions.
• Irish Farmers' Association (IFA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025UFU and IFA jointly expressed opposition to the proposed SLNCR Greenway project connecting Sligo to Enniskillen, citing issues of landowner rights and land impact.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Farmers' Union (NFU): England and Wales counterpart farmers' union; shares the same membership-funded trade union/advocacy model and policy lobbying remit, differing only by geography. Closest direct analogue to UFU.
• Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW): Independent Welsh farmers' union representing farmers to government and supply chain. Closely comparable to UFU in remit (advocacy, member services, education) and democratic member-driven structure.
• Irish Farmers' Association (IFA): Republic of Ireland farmers' representative body; UFU already partners with IFA on the SLNCR Greenway, confirming they are matched peers in scale, remit, and cross-border policy work.
• Scottish Land & Estates: Scottish membership body for rural landowners and agricultural businesses; comparable remit of policy advocacy, member representation and engagement with government on rural/sustainability issues.
• NFU Scotland: Scottish farmers' union operating under the same NFU umbrella with the same member-representation and policy advocacy model as UFU. Directly comparable in scale, structure and remit.
• NFU Cymru: Wales farmers' union under the NFU umbrella; operates the same member-funded lobbying and service model as UFU within the UK agricultural policy environment.
• Tenant Farmers Association: UK-wide membership association representing tenant farmers; comparable membership-based advocacy model focused on policy, regulation and member services within UK agriculture.

Broad incumbents

• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB): UK statutory levy-funded body for agriculture and horticulture sector development. Adjacent rather than competing — similar sector focus but funded by levies rather than membership subscriptions.
• Copa-Cogeca: Umbrella European-level federation of farmers' unions and agri-cooperatives; comparable advocacy remit at supranational scale and the apex body with which UK and Irish unions coordinate.
• Country Land and Business Association (CLA): UK membership organisation representing rural landowners and businesses; overlaps with UFU in policy advocacy around environmental schemes, land use, and rural economics, but with a broader non-farming rural remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ufuhq
• Facebookfacebook.com/UlsterFarmersUnion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ulster-farmers-union

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ulster Farmers' Union