“I’d like to congratulate the UFU and its Rural Affairs Committee on another tremendous event, which came hot on the heels of International Day of Rural Women.”

“The one-day conference boasted an all-female line-up of speakers and provided a fantastic networking opportunity for women from all sectors of the province’s agri-food industry.”

Ms Lockhart, who is the DUP’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson in Westminster said: “It is encouraging to see more women stepping up into pivotal roles, embracing the challenges and empowering others within the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland.”

Among the speakers were DAERA Permanent Secretary, Katrina Godfrey; Professor Elizabeth Magowan, AFBI; Dr Catherine Hughes, Ulster University; Dr Suzanne Higgins, AFBI; and Veronica Morris, Danellen Consulting.

Ms Godfrey said she was proud to be the first-ever female Permanent Secretary of DAERA.

Carla Lockhart MP added: “Women represent just 22% of the local agri-workforce, and only 5% of those are principal farmers. Katrina Godfrey highlighted that real and perceived barriers exist for women within our agri-food industry. DAERA is striving to increase female participation in farming activities, while recognising the contribution that women make and ensuring they are supported to take on leadership roles.

“DAERA recognises its responsibility to make sure the voice of women is not only heard, but listened to, and as a result, is supporting a number of pilot schemes aimed at rural women.

“It is also encouraging to note that CAFRE’s higher education courses are attracting increasing numbers of women, with females currently out numbering their male counterparts. This augurs well for the future of Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector and is a strong indicator of how attractive a career in agriculture is considered.”

Ms Lockhart continued: ”Women are good at multi-tasking and they bring many skills and insights to the table in a wide variety of roles and occupations, including politics and agriculture.

“It was great to hear from Professor Elizabeth Magowan who gave an interesting and informative presentation on the Science of Farming. Professor Magowan is a scientist at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and her team is focused a number of innovative projects aimed at globalisation and reducing ammonia emissions, which will help farmers adapt to climate change and reduce the environmental impacts of farming and horticulture. This is all crucial research which in the long-term will help the industry reach its Net Zero commitments.”

Dr Suzanne Higgins outlined a number of environmental challenges facing Northern Ireland agriculture. She talked about DAERA’s £37m Soil Nutrient Health Scheme, introduced in 2022, it is set to conclude in 2026 and is responsible for testing 650,000 fields in Northern Ireland. The voluntary scheme aims to improve soil health and has attracted a 90% uptake. It is currently focusing on zone three, with applications for zone four expected to open next year.

The importance of milk and meat in human nutrition was explained in detail by Dr Catherine Hughes from the Ulster University’s Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health.

“I was really pleased to hear Dr Hughes promoting the Northern Ireland agri-food sector, which adheres to strict animal health and welfare regulations to produce top-quality, fully traceable food to feed over 10m people throughout the UK.

“There has been a lot of hype in the news and social media about plant based and vegan diets, but Dr Hughes was quick to point out that meat and dairy produce, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, have a key role to play in a healthy balanced diet.

“Meat is very versatile and a rich source of essential iron, protein, vitamins and minerals. Milk is an essential source of calcium and nutrients, with one glass providing more than a third of the recommended daily requirements of vitamin B12, which is naturally available in foods of animal origin.”

Carla Lockhart added: “It was clear from the presentation that there are no nutritionally equivalent alternatives to meat and dairy produce. There is poor adherence to the recommendations of the Eat Well Guide, and I am urging the Government to raise more awareness about the importance of meat, milk, locally sourced and seasonal produce. Local produce is sustainable, it will reduce greenhouse gases and landfill, and make a positive contribution to human health.

“DAERA operates a free and subsidised milk scheme for pre and post-primary schools. I would like to encourage a bigger uptake in the scheme, as it helps to promote healthy choices amongst children and young people. It is reassuring to know that school milk is giving children a daily nutrition boost, especially in the current of the cost of living crisis.”

Rounding off the conference’s formal proceedings was a presentation from Veronica Morris, managing director of Danellen Consulting, who is heading up the inaugural Women in Agriculture Leadership Development Programme.

Concluding, the Upper Bann MP said: ”This is an exciting new UFU initiative aimed at encouraging women to further their personal development, build confidence, improve leadership skills, overcome self-doubt and create networks to support and mentor each other within the agri-food industry. The pilot scheme is in its early stages, and I look forward to watching how it evolves in the future. Let’s keep empowering women to take agriculture to new heights!”

The afternoon session included a series of on-farm and informative workshops conducted by the AFBI team.