The Ulster Farmers' Union backs a Sinn Fein private members bill to reinstate Area of Natural Constraint payments in Northern Ireland. The payment scheme ended in 2018 after UFU efforts to preserve it failed.

Farmers in these areas support the livestock sector and rural communities, mainly in Severely Disadvantaged Areas using grass-based systems.

Data records a 4% decrease in suckler cow numbers and ewe numbers in Northern Ireland.

ANC land features poor soil, steep slopes, and fragmented fields. It offers fewer grazing plants, longer winters, and lower forage protein. Livestock from these areas sell at lighter weights as stores, raising production costs for feed and housing.

Certain ANC farmers cannot enter Beef Carbon Reduction, Suckler Cow, or Protein Schemes under the Sustainable Agriculture Programme. Their Farm Sustainability Payment drops by up to 17%.

The UFU discusses these matters with Stormont policymakers.

In the Republic of Ireland, ANC payments total over €180 million each year to nearly 87,000 farmers.