Markethill farmer Ivor Ferguson has been elected president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) at the organisation’s AGM in Antrim.
Ferguson has sheep and arable enterprises on his farm in Co Armagh, but was involved in pig farming for most of his career.
He replaces Barclay Bell as president. Bell served the maximum two-year term as president of the 11,500-member organisation.
Ferguson has been UFU deputy president for the past four years and was elected president in line with normal convention.
Deputy presidents
Bushmills beef, sheep and dairy farmer Victor Chestnutt was re-elected to serve a second two-year term as UFU deputy president.
Fermanagh farmer David Brown took the other deputy president position by securing the most votes from executive council members in a four-man race.
The suckler farmer from Florencecourt beat off competition from Ian Buchanan from Dungiven, Tim McClelland from Tandragee and Crosby Cleland from Saintfield.