UFU president pays tribute to his predecessor as he looks to the future (1972)

Mr Hanna has been addressing the annual meeting of the UFU council at Moira, when he took over the presidency from Mr A E (Alfie) Gibson, who was praised for his outstanding work for farmers during his year in office.

Thanking Mr Gibson, Mr Hanna told the council meeting: “It has been my great good fortune to have the opportunity to serve as deputy president under Mr Gibson. A more loyal and helpful friend I could not have had and I don't think the union could have had a more dutiful and faithful leader.”

Mr Hanna added: “Many of our more notable achievements have been due to the outstanding qualities of leadership that he so obviously displayed, and on your behalf as well as my own, I would say thank you, Alfie, for a job well done, and comfort myself in the knowledge that his wide knowledge and talents will still be available to the union.”

Mr Wallace Perry from Ahoghill, had become the new deputy president of the UFU, noted Farming Life.

Mr Hanna said that the success of their marketing boards in Northern Ireland was a success that they must jealously guard and at all costs preserve, but there were major commodities where marketing was “far from well organised” and it was incumbent upon them to create the marketing systems that would ensure a fair and profitable return to the producers of the commodities concerned.

Of the major changes o policy that were likely to be overtaking them in some seven months' time Mr Hanna said: “A tremendous amount of work remains to be done before the end of the year, particularly in ensuring that the best possible terms are procured for Northern Ireland as far as intervention arrangements are concerned, and in preparing and documenting a water-tight case for the regional aid support that in my opinion is necessary – particularly in so far as pigs and poultry are concerned - if we are to continue to maintain a viable and coherent agricultural industry.

“With, the agricultural, industry providing about one-seventh of total employment in the province, and with its fine performance record over the years, I feel we are perhaps better equipped to make effective use of national and/or community funds to stabilise employment within the province than many of the industrial projects we hear so much about.”

Mr Hanna continued: “'Social as well as economic problems also must be taking into account. This is where an effective regional aid programme can play a valuable part.”

At the outset, Mr Hanna, said that the year ahead was almost certain to carry them into an Enlarged European Economic Community, into the first stage of transition towards the Common Agricultural Policy.

On the domestic front they were also going to have a change to a different system of local government within the next nine months, with quite a number of the local services vested in central government and area boards.

“It is with changes of this nature facing us that I want this afternoon to look to the role of our union as I see it in the years ahead,” said Mr Hanna.

“In the period of change that I envisaged, it is going to be vitally important to ensure that the best possible service is available to our members. To this end I shall continue to strive to further improve the service the union provides for its members, at all levels.

“The speed and effectiveness with which we deal with members' individual problems and the manner in which we disseminate and distribute information, both through the media and directly to our members, is a matter of particular concern to me, because I feel strongly that our success or failure as a union depends very largely, on the image we project among our members in the country.”