Ulster Farmers’ Union elects Garvagh beef and biogas farmer John McLenaghan as president alongside returning and new deputy presidents at Loughry Campus.
McLenaghan elected president as UFU refreshes leadership
The Ulster Farmers’ Union has a new president after Garvagh farmer John McLenaghan was elected to the top role at the union’s annual general meeting on April 30. The election took place at Loughry Campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), with some council members participating online.
McLenaghan beat a field of candidates to claim the two-year presidency, inheriting leadership of Northern Ireland’s largest farming representative body at a time of significant regulatory and market pressure. He will be supported by a deputy presidential team of Glenn Cuddy, who was re-elected for a second term, and Clement Lynch, newly elected to the role.
The three elected officials bring markedly different farming backgrounds to the leadership table. McLenaghan runs a diversified operation in Co. Derry that includes a suckler beef enterprise, egg production, a wind turbine and a biogas plant. His multi-faceted approach to farm business reflects the increasingly complex nature of modern agriculture. Cuddy, from Donaghmore in Co. Tyrone, operates a modern birth-to-bacon sow unit alongside suckler cows and both pedigree and commercial sheep. Lynch, a hill sheep farmer from Claudy in Co. Derry, rounds out the team with expertise in the challenging upland sector.
Minister outlines priorities amid familiar pressures
Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir attended as guest speaker, addressing the UFU council before taking questions. His priorities will matter significantly to members, given the department’s influence over farm support schemes, environmental regulations and disease control.
The minister confirmed bovine TB remains a top priority for his department. The disease continues to devastate cattle herds across Northern Ireland, with no clear end to the eradication programme in sight. For farmers who have lost animals to mandatory testing or faced repeated restrictions on movement, this commitment will be scrutinised carefully against actual policy delivery.
Muir also addressed the Nutrients Action Programme stakeholder group, describing it as focused and constructive. The NAP sets rules governing organic manures and fertiliser use on farms, with direct implications for livestock producers and those growing crops. The minister’s framing suggests the department sees progress in these discussions, though farmers will want to see whether that translates into practical, workable requirements rather than additional administrative burdens.
Specifically, beyond these core issues, Muir flagged climate change, the ongoing Middle East conflict and inheritance tax as concerns his department is monitoring. The Middle East situation affects global commodity markets and food security dynamics, while inheritance tax changes announced in the UK government’s October 2024 budget have caused considerable anxiety among farming families planning succession.
New president calls for unity as regulatory scrutiny intensifies
In his first address to council as president, McLenaghan struck a balance between acknowledging difficulties and projecting confidence. His central message was unity.
“Together we are stronger,” he told delegates. “We don’t all have to always agree on every single issue, but I believe we do agree on the importance of maintaining productive sustainable farming for this and the next generation. We must agree that we are only as strong as we are united, the more division there is the more weakness there is.”
The incoming president appears aware of the pressure facing Northern Ireland’s farming community. He referenced the Office for Environmental Protection’s report on the previous NAP programme (2019-2024) and its effect on water quality, which he said contained both criticism and praise for farmers’ efforts. The OEP found that despite farmers’ investments and efforts, water quality targets remained challenging to meet.
Specifically, mcLenaghan described farmers as privileged to provide food for citizens, but acknowledged this comes with both responsibility and opportunity. The framing suggests he understands the tightrope farming leaders must walk: defending farmers’ interests while responding to environmental scrutiny that shows no signs of easing.
“There has never been a better time to be president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union,” he concluded, adding he looked forward to working with council over the coming years.
What This Means for Farmers
The new UFU leadership arrives at a critical juncture. Bovine TB continues to undermine cattle farm profitability across Northern Ireland, with some areas seeing little improvement despite years of control efforts. Farmers need a union that can engage assertively with government on this file and push for practical solutions rather than perpetually increased testing regimes.
The Nutrients Action Programme remains a flashpoint. Rules governing slurry and fertiliser use directly affect every livestock farmer, and the new programme period will bring fresh requirements. How effectively the UFU negotiates on members’ behalf during that process will be an early test of McLenaghan’s leadership.
Equally important is the inheritance tax situation. Many Northern Ireland farms face significant death duty bills when land transfers between generations, a structural problem that undermines long-term viability. The UFU will need to maintain pressure on the john mclenaghan situation through engagement with the Treasury and highlighting the specific challenges facing family farms here.
The diversity of the new team could prove valuable. McLenaghan’s renewable energy ventures, Cuddy’s intensive pig unit and Lynch’s upland experience give the union leadership practical insight across different production systems. Whether that translates into more effective representation depends on how the team manages competing priorities within a membership that ranges from small hill farms to large intensive operations.
What to Watch Next
Watch for the new leadership’s approach to the upcoming NAP consultation. Farmers should engage with their UFU representatives early if they have concerns about how new rules might affect their businesses. The consultation phase is when practical objections can still influence policy.
The bovine TB situation will require sustained attention. If the minister’s stated priority fails to produce tangible improvements in farm-level incidence rates, the UFU will face pressure to adopt a more confrontational stance with the department.
McLenaghan’s stated emphasis on unity suggests he will attempt to hold the union together on key votes and policy positions. Whether members support that approach when they disagree with specific decisions remains to be seen. Farming politics can be fractious, and the next two years will test whether collective representation still works in an era of increasingly divergent farm types and business models.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was elected president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union in April 2026?
John McLenaghan, a Garvagh farmer from Co. Derry, was elected president for a two-year term at the UFU’s annual general meeting on April 30, 2026.
Who are the new UFU deputy presidents?
Glenn Cuddy was re-elected as deputy president for a second term, and he will be joined by newly elected deputy president Clement Lynch. Cuddy farms in Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, while Lynch is a hill sheep farmer from Claudy, Co. Derry.
What farming enterprises does new UFU president John McLenaghan operate?
McLenaghan runs a diversified farming operation including a suckler beef enterprise, egg production, a wind turbine and a biogas plant based in Co. Derry.
What did Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir say about bovine TB?
Minister Muir confirmed bovine TB remains a top priority for his department at the UFU annual general meeting. The disease continues to significantly impact cattle herds across Northern Ireland.
What agricultural policies did the minister address?
Muir discussed the Nutrients Action Programme stakeholder group as focused and constructive, and mentioned his department is monitoring climate change, the Middle East conflict’s impact on commodity markets, and inheritance tax concerns affecting farming families.
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