Member's statement: Agri-food Sector: Northern Ireland Water Environmental Reporting

Member's statement by Mr Keith Buchanan on 2 March 2026.

MLA: Mr Keith Buchanan
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 2 March 2026
Type: Member's statement
Business: Members' Statements
Heading: Agri-food Sector: Northern Ireland Water Environmental Reporting
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5432501

Text

I place on record my deep concern that, once again, the reputation of our agri-food sector has been unfairly damaged. There are more than 26,000 farming families across Northern Ireland, and they deserve accuracy and respect in public discourse, not misleading claims that undermine confidence in a sector that is already under immense pressure.
At a meeting of Mid Ulster District Council on 26 February 2026, a representative of NI Water, a body that is under the Minister's remit, stated as fact — I repeat: as fact — that 70% of water pollution originates from agriculture. That is factually incorrect. That figure was presented as being accurate despite its being incorrect and not reflective of the scientific modelling on which it was claimed that it was based. Since then, NI Water has had to issue a statement admitting that nutrient modelling is only an estimate that is based on assumptions and available data and that cannot be treated as definite fact. The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has stepped in to confirm that the figures quoted by NI Water do not match AFBI's modelling. AFBI stressed that all modelling carries uncertainty and must be explained properly, with the limitations being clearly understood. In recent years, farming has faced increasing pressure and tighter rules because of concerns about Lough Neagh. That includes strict controls on nutrient management and farm run-off. Farmers have invested heavily in storage and followed complex regulations, and they work extremely hard, especially at times such as during the recent wet weather, to manage their nutrient responsibilities. At the same time, many farmers and residents continue to report what they believe to be raw sewage discharges into rivers and streams; only last week, we saw images of what appears to be discharge going into a river in Omagh. NI Water is the second-largest landowner in Northern Ireland and is responsible for a significant share of the pollution that enters Lough Neagh. That is why public statements from NI Water must be accurate and balanced. The figures quoted at the council meeting were not even correct. Officials claimed that agriculture was responsible for 70% of phosphorus run-off and NI Water for 21%. Scientific modelling states that the figures are 62% and 24%. It is not about the 6%; it is about the fact that, first, it is modelling and, secondly, the 70% figure is not accurate, based on modelling. The Ulster Farmers' Union, rightly, called the comments "misleading and inappropriate". It has contacted NI Water to request a retraction and an apology. My colleague Deborah Armstrong has previously raised the issue of those figures at Infrastructure Committee meetings and has now written to the Minister to seek clarification, following the meeting on Thursday evening. I ask the Minister to clarify the situation, to retract the inaccurate statement that was made by NI Water and to outline how she intends to restore confidence in the organisation, following that incident. The public, especially our farming families, deserve accuracy, fairness and accountability.

500 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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