Chair hosts a reception for Mr David Brown, President of the Ulster Farmers Union

Recently the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Errol Thompson, hosted a reception for Mr David Brown, resident of the District, who has been appointed to the position of President of the Ulster Farmers Union.

Below is the text of the speech delivered by Councillor Thompson at the reception.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

As Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, I am delighted to welcome you all here to The Townhall, Enniskillen this evening for this reception to recognise Mr David Brown on his appointment as President of the Ulster Farmers Union.

David, I understand you are a suckler beef and sheep farmer from Florencecourt and you are also passionate about grassland management and have formerly served as Chair of the Fermanagh Grassland Committee.  You have a keen interest in agri-food and the protection and promotion of local food production, and it is opportune that you are currently Chair of the Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend which aims to re-establish the connection between consumers and farmers.

You bring a huge amount of experience to your new role. You were co-opted to the Ulster Farmers Union Management Board in 2016 and you were appointed to represent the red meat sector on the Cafre College Advisory Group in 2017.  You were first elected to the position of Deputy President of the Ulster Farmers Union in 2018 and you have now been elected to the highly regarded and influential position of President for the next two years.

Agriculture is one of the largest and most important industries in Northern Ireland and agri-food is a key economic driver, however, it does not come without its challenges and as a rural District with a strong tradition of and reliance on agriculture, we are familiar with these issues.  It is, therefore to be welcomed that you, as a resident of the District, are at the helm of the Ulster Farmers Union to highlight the issues facing the industry and particularly here in the rural West.

Some of the Members here today sit on the Council’s Agriculture Liaison Group and I know that they would welcome a strong working relationship with you and the Ulster Farmers Union to ensure positive action for agriculture within the District.

Last week I was delighted to host a reception for Cappagh Young Farmers Club to recognise the Club’s 75^th anniversary and it was encouraging to see so many young people who are committed to the club and the promotion of rural life and agriculture.  I took the opportunity to encourage the young people to continue to pursue their interest in agriculture and I believe this is important as they are the future of our industry.

In your remarks following you election as President you said you were committed to the Ulster Farmers Union Mission which is promoting and supporting a vibrant and sustainable rural economy where agriculture is secure and pivotal to its future. I am confident that with your experience, interest and passion for agriculture you will fulfil this commitment successfully.

On behalf of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, I would like to congratulate you on your election as President of the Ulster Farmers Union and wish you every success in your role.  I am confident that you will do yourself, your family, your friends and the District proud as you represent the agricultural industry and carry out your duties to advance rural interests.

Thank you.